Bleach - Dark Prophecies: Redux
by Demod20
Summary: This is an updated and improved version of my oldest story of my portfolio. Here I'll be correcting existing grammatical issues, summarizing paragraphs and changing some important subplots or character details. From here, I'll be using all information on this 12 Redone Chapters as minted Canon for the series' sequel, Dark Horizon. So read if you're interested in how this compares!
1. Nightmares on Living Street

" **You ever stopped to wonder, what it'd be like if you could touch the sky? Would we just fade away, or would the world come crashing down?** "

* * *

 **Chapter**

 **O**

 **N**

 **E**

 **Nightmares on Living Street**

* * *

The world was a swirling fog within the mind of the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. Locked in a deep sleep, his mind had been plagued by deep dreams that stirred his waking form. Indistinct shapes swarmed to his unconscious fore-thoughts, both memorable and unfamiliar, with voices all chanting out to him.

" _Wake up! Get up, Ichigo!_ "

" _Get up, Ichigo or I'll pound you awake!_ "

" _Get up, Ichigo Kurosaki. Stand up and fight!_ "

" _You like it? Don't you think red is cuter on me?_ "

" _Ichigo!_ "

" _I'll rather sacrifice my life than watch you die, Ichigo!_ "

" _Ichigo…I…feel so…warm…_ "

Ichigo wakes up in cold sweat and is greeted by a fifth call.

"I-CHI-GOOOOOOOOO!" Yelled Isshin Kurosaki as he lunged at him with full power from the bedroom doorway. Ichigo deftly landed an angry fist on his dad's incoming face, hurling him backwards into the hallway outside his bedroom.

"YOU IDIOT! You assault me even while I am asleep? Don't you ever just lay off?" Ichigo yelled at his dad angrily while shaking his fist. Twitching madly, he became instantly frustrated that his day started out this way.

"You…have surpassed…me…Ichigo," Ichigo's dad gasped dramatically, groaning from pain while on the floor outside his room. Changing quickly into his school uniform, he grabbed his backpack he left last night prepared, and proceeded to step over his father's prone form, still wheezing and groaning in the hallway. Ichigo was greeted by an amused Karin next to the stairs.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Karin said in an amused voice.

"Mornin', Karin. Is Yuzu finished with breakfast?" Ichigo asked, unconsciously rubbing his stomach with his free hand.

"Yeah, she sent me to get you," Karin looked over at a moaning form of her dad. "But it seems dad beat me to the punch. Literally."

Ichigo chuckled with Karin. Ichigo noticed that Karin has been a little more at peace ever since she became the prime of Soul detection. Since he lost his powers, she became the only one able to see spirits, and she became fine with that. Unfortunately, she's still as astute as ever, looking at him worriedly.

"Nightmares again?" she asked casually, with worry overlaying her voice. For about a week now, Ichigo has been having vague, but intense dreams. Nightmares, Ichigo called them. Like shadows and outlines of people he knew with gray background, them usually speaking in the most intense situations or the most special ones, mostly begging him to wake up. The voices of Senna, came as a surprise to him the most, considering he had occasional dreams about her and the nightmare about him not reaching her in time ; or the fact she declared her love for him by sacrificing herself to save him and the worlds in peril. When she became outlined along with the other familiar people he knew, he could feel something was about to happen, and yet his boring life continued without fail. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary except for the fact he couldn't get much sleep.

"Yeah, a little different than before, but still outlined in the black and gray. Can't tell much about it, considering I barely remember anything important," Ichigo said, still being evasive about exactly what he has been dreaming. Karin has been a good ear, someone he could depend on talking to. She promised not to pry too much, even though she would ask but wouldn't press it if he wanted to drop it.

"You ever going to tell me what its about? I can probably guess what's happening better than dad," Karin trailed off, hesitant on pressing the issue but still curious enough to ask.

"If I thought that would help I would've asked, Karin. For all I know, this could be one of those brief recurring nightmares that people get after intense events in their lives." Ichigo replied crisply, annoyed that she repeated the same advice he gave himself. Of course he tried to explain it to his dad once, but the moment he tried, everything became blank. As if trying to explain it exactly, no one could understand what or who he was talking about.

"Well, if you feel like talking about it, I'm all ears," Karin shrugged, not really caring now anymore, giving him space Ichigo guessed.

"Yeah, better grab some breakfast before dad wakes up," Ichigo jerked his free hand behind him to the still prone form of his dad. The two siblings then journeyed down to the kitchen where a cheerful Yuzu greeted them.

"Good morning, Ichigo! Did Karin get to you before dad cause I heard some commotion," She asked with a worried look.

"Nah, he had that coming for attacking me when I was sleeping yesterday! He, _deserved_ that punch," Ichigo said with a sadistic dark smile crept upon his face, his dark aura radiating to the point both sisters sweated nervously.

"Oh, I see. Well, I hope you didn't hurt him _too_ badly," Yuzu said with a downcast face.

"Well considering the fights we've been in over the years, I let him off easy this time," Ichigo said, his menacing look vanishing and both sisters sighed with relief.

Ichigo then grabbed a few pop-tarts that Yuzu heated up. Now that Yuzu was a freshman, her schedule demanded her to make the sacrifice of quality breakfast to snack bars, toast, and pop-tarts.

After his brief breakfast, he ran off ahead of his sisters to get to class on time, something he had a hard time of doing even after retiring from his Substitute Soul Reaper life. He ran along his way across a familiar bridge, one he could never forget.

Nearly a week and a half has passed since the familiar red ribbon flew towards his grasp and his sight of a living, breathing, laughing Senna running past him. Ichigo felt as if his mind conjured up a fleeting fantasy from the touch of Senna's ribbon. And as a silent promise to himself, he wore the red ribbon around his neck, out of sight, as a testament to never forget the girl who shouldn't have existed, but gave her life for a world that did. In Ichigo's eyes, that made her real enough than anybody else.

Ichigo made to class barely on time, with another public lecture about being more studious, Ichigo's day went pretty much the same it has been for the past semester. He would sit next to Tatuski, who he pretty much talked to every class period before and after they ended. Ichigo would then move onto to lunch where he would hang out with Uryu, Chad, and Orihime. Ichigo noticed he's been seeing less and less of the two guys of the gang less and less often due to the fact they've taken up the role of protecting Karakura town.

Of course Orihime had no problem with their absence considering she had Ichigo all to herself.

" So, I heard you've been having trouble sleeping," Orihime said bluntly, breaking Ichigo's blissful daydream with a start.

"How-?"

"I've known you for a while, Ichigo. Anyone can tell by those silly dark lines under your eyes!"

Ichigo faintly touched his face, already noticing that he's been losing too much. He couldn't help the nightmares, they just kept coming. He knew his friends would notice soon enough, but he never guessed Orihime would be the first to pry.

"Yeah, well been dreaming some weird things lately," Ichigo said hesitantly, wondering if it would change anything by telling her what he's seen; what little he knows, and hope for the best.

"Do-doe-does it have anything to do with, R-Rukia?" Orihime asked shyly.

Ichigo suddenly felt his mind rewind. Its been almost two years since Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure has been gone, along with seeing Rukia altogether. To Ichigo, Rukia was his once-in-a-lifetime friend that he could depend on. She saved his family, his life, and gave him the power and resolve to save the world. Sure he missed her, but she wasn't the girl plaguing his mind for the last two years of his life. Vague glimpses of her features were cast into his nightmares, but he heard Senna's voice more often and even saw her more clearly than the other faces he knew. It made his heart ache, like a wound that has a scar that never healed.

He could smell her perfume as if it was yesterday, like honeydew with fresh autumn wind. Her lithe figure was dancing among red and orange autumn leaves majestically swirling around her, like fairies. Her Soul Reaper garments clung snugly around her supple chest and slender legs. Her hands twirled her Zanpakto, a monk staff, like a ballerina would a baton. Her honey-comb brown eyes glistened with radiance and her violet hair flowed along with the wind like the tide in a ocean.

Ichigo began then see all of the moments of them together and the battles he fought to get to her, flooded his mind at once with perfect clarity: the first appearance of the blanks, the festival grounds, fighting in the cemetery, the stand-off with the Soul Reapers at the plaza and fighting the Dark Ones there, his failed rescue, waking up with his hand clenched around her ribbon, plunging head first into the Valley of Screams, fighting all of the Dark Ones simultaneously, fighting their leader, getting injured, releasing his ultimate attack, escaping with Senna, losing the ribbon, Senna glowing...slowly dying, the lie to give Senna peace, her form dissipating away into nothingness as well as leaving Ichigo behind, seeing the ribbon after nearly two years later, seeing Senna, given room to walk in the crowd and laughed and screamed at some people behind her-

Ichigo's face began pale, his pupils dilated and was totally zoning out until he heard Orihime shaking him out of it.

"Ichigo? Ichigo? ICHIGO!" He heard her scream until he gasped out loud and grabbed her arms, heaving breath as he had just had realized what just happened.

"Or-Orihime, I..."

"ICHI-GOOOOO!" Yelled Keigo as he suddenly ambushed him from behind. Ichigo was so startled all he could do was whirl around with a terrifying glare, causing Keigo to stop in his tracks, inches away from Ichigo's body.

"He-he-he-hey, Ichi-gu-gu-go," Keigo said as he shrank away from the dominating wrathful aura Ichigo was emanating from him.

Ichigo then turned his eyes back to a worried Orihime and said quickly, "I'm sorry, Orihime. I have to go now. There's something I have to do!"

With a confused and begging Orihime sitting at the lunch table with Ichigo's partially eaten rice balls left behind, Ichigo raced away at top speed. Keigo accidentally was caught in the midriff from a glancing stride, sending him tumbling away into another table. After moaning from the pain, Keigo looks over at Orihime asking an omnious question.

"What happened to Ichigo, Orihime?" Unbeknownst to the pair and Ichigo, a lone figure that watched from afar the debacle chased the orange teenager. What would happen on the bridge, Ichigo would know his life would never be boring again…

Ichigo ran. He ran, depending on his mortal body that had been honed to its peak from his own soul, to take him to where he last saw Senna. If it was a mere coincidence that he saw Senna on the bridge that day Ichigo swore he would sell his soul to the hollow that used to reside in him.

Ichigo managed to dodge pedestrians, vault fences in single bounds, jump over cars, and raced to the limits of his own capabilities. He eventually managed to get to the busy bridge he walked across in remembrance of Senna. The main reason he's been late for the past week was for the fact he took time to cross the bridge, and his lack of sleep didn't help things either. He purposely came to the bridge and prayed for her return every time he came but he never saw her. And the past week was haunted with nightmares of people he knew. Not to mention his very graphic 'vision' he decided to call it, something clicked and he felt like a total idiot. How he could not tell that it really was Senna.

Ichigo then suddenly felt the hairs stand on edge of his neck as he heard someone scraping metal right next to a support beam of the bridge. His eyes were wide with shock as he saw the most pale boy he's ever seen. His eyes had a shade of red of blood, which unnerved himself. Its as if the teen's body has been locked inside a dark prison his entire life. The rest of his body was clothed in ragged white cloth, the hood loose over his shoulders and the rest of it being ashen covered sleeves down to dirtied boots. The teen was scraping the metal with his fingernails! He then produced a feline smile, showing pointed teeth with a uncanny white to them.

"Well, that didn't take long, did it?" The pale teen said more of to himself than to Ichigo, his voice tinted with a foreign accent.

"Who are you?" Ichigo said, glaring at him with promise of death behind his eyes.

The pale teen laughed a high pitched laugh, making Ichigo's spine shiver, before he answered him, "The name, that was given to me is, Kuzuri Jogi. A Hanta who serves his master, the Alpha Demon Ryoken Junta faithfully," He then pointed a long clawed finger at Ichigo before saying. "I'm here to harvest, your soul!"


	2. Return of NOBODY

" **From the Distant Past, I reach forth and pull the Far Future to the Moving Present. These are my memories, and they build my character, but don't define it. How much more would memories of a nobody shape my identity?** "

* * *

 **Bleach - Dark Prophecies**

 **Chapter**

 **Two**

 **Return of NOBODY**

* * *

Ichigo's blood boiled. He never thought he would have to ever deal with battles over his soul, now that he lost his powers of a Soul Reaper. But now, here stood the most ghastly visage in human form, claiming he's come here for it. He narrowed his eyes, glaring menacingly at his oppressor with righteous hatred.

"You came here, to 'harvest' my soul? And why in the Hell would I just let you do just that?" Ichigo asked with bitter taste in his mouth, from having to speak of himself as a crop for harvesting.

Another shrill laugh as he then responded with Ichigo with morbid humor, "Its not like you have a choice in the matter, Kurosaki. I mean after all, you're no Substitute Soul Reaper anymore, right? So what can you do against someone like-?"

The ghoulish man never had the chance to finish as a swift roundhouse kick sent him spiraling off the bridge. With a few cries of outrage and horror from the public, Ichigo ignored them with a smirk as he heard a splash, stories below the bridge.

"Good riddance," Ichigo said as he turned and began searching the crowd once more.

Just as he noticed the outraged and accusatory expressions, he also noticed a momentary hissing noise. Ichigo turned around to see that with the exception of him being wet, the kick and fall had no effect on the demonic entity. With a comical spit of water out his mouth, a toothy smile was presented by Kuzuri.

"You ready? I'll try to take it easy on you," Kuzuri then protruded a dark violet aura, which Ichigo felt from an intense sense of density in the air. Ichigo was baffled. He shouldn't have ever seen that aura, let alone feel the power that exuded him. His spiritual pressure should be gone!

Kuzuri then blinked from his sight, and reappeared from behind. But Ichigo saw it coming. Ichigo side-stepped from a right handed strike, pivoting on one heel while grabbing the outstretched hand; once caught, he used the momentum to throw him into a SUV near him. A thunderous crash reverberated with his impact, throwing the vehicle and the hapless devil along the bridge, wrecking a few other vehicles, scattering the many spectators to safety. Ichigo rushed over to where he threw the devilish imp only to find him wrenching himself out of the bent transport.

"That hurt, human! I won't take you so lightly now!" Kuzuri exclaimed as he jumped towards him and threw a barrage of punches and kicks at Ichigo, matching move-for-move effortlessly. Ichigo felt like this should be impossible. He shouldn't even see a spirit, let alone fight one hand-to-hand!

As Ichigo pondered this in the middle of combat, Kuzuri landed an uppercut into Ichigo's gut, lifting him off his feet with a painful grunt. Feeling the breath knocked out of him, Ichigo relied on pure instinct to catch himself, and land acrobatically over some abandoned cars, on a crouch on a Suzuki's roof.

"I knew I'd have some fun with a mortal like you! Always fighting the inevitable truth, that your death will come today or one thousand years from now! Keep fighting, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Kuzuri shouted gleefuly while running across the prone vehicles at inhuman speeds. Ichigo barely timed a block from three hit combo from Kuzuri's fists. Ichigo slowly but surely became accustomed to the random bursts of speed and strength coupled with the demon-type swift movement. Ichigo still had all the fighting experience and battle trained reflexes from his time training, but he never imagined what he'd be like if he pushed his human limits.

Ichigo managed to land a five hit combo from his fists and then a roundhouse kick to Kuzuri's face. Kuzuri looked like a cross between enjoying himself and being frustrated, but still kept maniacally laughing as he still fought Ichigo with endless energy; unfazed from all the attacks Ichigo managed to land on him.

What seemed like hours of fighting and dozens of vehicles destroyed, was more like fifteen minutes Ichigo was heaving and panting in between breaks of the fight. Ichigo saw tatters and rips in Kuzuri's clothes, a few abrasions and scratches from his attacks but nothing to slow him down. Ichigo, however, was sporting a cut above his right eye that bled profusely, and a cut lip along with maybe four bruised ribs. He tried not to show it, but Ichigo could not hide every wince from the movement of his body in his fighting stance.

Kuzuri could probably tell without all the signs of injury, because he suddenly looked very bored. "Well, I don't about myself, but I don't think you can go on for much longer, Kurosaki."

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that? Are you suddenly afraid of us mortals?" Ichigo provocatively said, showing a smirk despite the fact it caused his split lip to open more.

Kuzuri let out a shrill laugh as he replied with renewed vigor, "Hehehe, that's a good one, human. You, not even a Soul Reaper anymore, making me afraid? I didn't even unsheathe my sword yet."

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he saw a sword materialize in thin air like sand solidifying from the abyss. The handle was red banded with a skull on the pommel of it, blade itself had a saw shape along the beginning half of its cutting edge; the remainder was a regular straight edge.

Kuzuri smiled sadistically as he pointed the sword at the ex-Substitute, "So, how long do you think an unarmed human can stand against an armed Hanta, hm?"

Ichigo then saw himself flying again as the butt of the sword was rammed against his chest, hurtling himself into the concrete road of the bridge. Ichigo coughed up blood, his chest aching and several of his bruised ribs were now probably broken. Ichigo didn't want to die. He wanted to live out his dull life in peace. He wanted to grow up with his friends, and live in happiness with them.

But most of all, he wanted to see…

Ichigo's thoughts were cut off as the Hanta closed in on him, slowly scraping his blade against the ground, producing sparks and an unpleasant grating noise.

"Well, Ichigo Kurosaki, it's been fun. Now once when I kill you, you'll mark the beginning of a new era! Are you ready?" He asked raising his sword high above his head. Ichigo muttered something foul, but was morphed from the blood and coughing that he choked on. Kuzuri's death blow came short as a gust of wind suddenly struck the Hanta, throwing him away into another vehicle with a loud crash.

Ichigo thought he was losing it as he saw autumn leaves when it was nearly summer already, flying about as a figure gracefully landed right where the ghoulish man was moments ago.

What was once a fading darkness around the edges of Ichigo's vision became painfully wide as he saw the familiar outlines of lithe girl, with spiked violet ponytail tied with a yellow ribbon donning a v-cut leather trench coat and holding her Zanpakuto in her right hand. The musical sing-song voice he begged to hear again came out as a menacing cool tone.

"Demon Cur! I thought we made it clear that Ichigo Kurosaki, and those in Karakura Town, are off limits!" She yelled in a murderous resentful tone. "You're going to regret setting foot in here, Hanta!"

Ichigo could barely get over his shock still, maybe due to the fact of a bump or two to his head. Thoughts scrambled his brains like a bullet express train.

" _S-Senna's alive? H-H-How is this p-possible? And she knows who this guy is? I'm so confused!_ " Ichigo thought, sweating from both confusion and pain-filled exhaustion.

The demon underling spat some blood out of a now bleeding pair of lips, sardonically grinning back at the new arrival while crawling out of the crumpled car he was thrown into.

"Ah, it's a Soul Hunter. I was wondering when one of _you_ would show up, but c'mon!" He said mockingly, but he was in an apparent defensive stance, checking his distance from his new opponent. Senna twirled her Zanpakuto with her right hand, while slowly clicking her high heeled boots across the bridge. Ichigo had a hard time not noticing the fishnet leggings exposed underneath the flailing v-cut trench coat that clung to her smooth legs…

"What's that supposed to mean, freak?" Senna said as she continued her advance. Ichigo still couldn't help but see even more of her legs, a slight nose bleed developing without his awareness.

The demon cackled again before saying, "Well…I'm just saying that I have more challenge from fighting men than women."

Senna then whisked from Ichigo's comfortable view and slammed her right boot heel against the Hanta's sword. Kuzuri was breaking into bridge in a kneeling pose, using both hands to hold up his sword against the enraged Senna's foot. With a grunt, Kuzuri managed to launch Senna into the air with a mighty heave of his sword. Twirling and spinning in the air with autumn leaves dancing around her, Senna has never looked more beautiful and badass from Ichigo's view.

Senna raised her sword and sliced the air in front of her, sending a gust of wind that cut the leaves around her to smash where the demented creature was a second ago. Senna then parried a swipe from the Hanta's crude blade, his body phasing back into view. The Hanta continued to strike fast at her, thrusting and swiping to discourage counterattacks. It looked as if the Hanta finally got the upper hand until Senna surprised both Kuzuri and Ichigo.

Senna blocked a downward thrust with one hand while revealing what looked like a bladed pistol and fired. The result was a bright yellow blast, blowing away Kuzuri from the sky back into the ground. Senna blew away steam rushing from her barrel while resting her sword onto her shoulder, casually watching the Hanta try to stand up. Kuzuri had most of his right side charred to crisp while only half his sword arm was unscathed.

"I see," Senna said crisply, "You managed to fire a Cero while I fired at the same time, saving you from the worst of it. Guess that makes you a Hollow-type Hanta, despite your more human appearance."

"C-C-Curse you, witch! You Soul Hunters never play fair!" Kuzuri squealed, almost like a little girl, to Ichigo's ears.

Senna smiled coyly, "That's something, coming from an ex-hollow."

Hearing this, Kuzuri then pulsed violently with purple energy, and Ichigo felt himself planted even further into the ground from the gravity of the Reiatsu he felt. Kuzuri raised his sword in the air as he screamed at Senna malevolently.

"YOU DARE?! You dare compare me to a HOLLOW?! I'll show you," Kuzuri screamed more as his sword lit up to a bright pink before enveloping him in its aura, "I'll show you what a real HANTA can do!"

A shockwave followed the sudden envelopment upon Kuzuri, rolling Ichigo painfully farther from the epicenter of the cause while Senna stood still with an unnatural calm, while her coat twisted and flapped in the wind. When the smoke cleared and the light dimmed, Kuzuri looked older, his hair a silver sheen and his clothes turned from silk to layers of fur covering him from his feet up to his shoulders, leaving all but the hole in his chest resembling human skin. His wounds had vanished, his sword transformed into a pair of jagged tiger claw blades on each hand. While Kuzuri smiled maliciously, Senna remained in an indifferent posture as if still waiting for something.

Kuzuri then posed in a cat-like stance uttering, " **Rip them to Shreds**! **Garra Muerta**!"

Vanishing from view, a gust of wind was made in his wake while zooming towards Senna at air-rending velocity. Senna whisked away from the speeding Kuzuri while slashing at his side, ushering a violent scream from him. Screeching like a rocket, Kuzuri came around again but this time engulfed in a white fire of Reishi. Senna then quickly fired her pistol once, twice, then three times of repeated yellow Reishi at Kuzuri. Resounding thunderous noise could be heard across Karakura Town, but slowed Kuzuri only a quarter of his speed. With him still barreling in on Senna, Ichigo could barely yell out in warning,

"Senna!" Ichigo yelled, as Senna gathered wind around her Zanpakuto with a howling ferocity matching the screaming Kuzuri. Senna then flipped and twirled over the rocketing Hanta while whisking her blade through his comet-like form. When she _landed_ on the air behind him, he suddenly stopped his advance, claws outstretched and a furious twitching look on his face.

A slight cackle was heard from Kuzuri, "I guess…women are fun to fight...after all."

A sudden gush of blood was seen from the Hanta's form as a visible diagonal cut across his chest and arm as his disintegrating form fell into the river below. A sigh of relief came from Ichigo that she beat him. Ichigo could still hardly believe what he'd seen. Senna showed she was on a whole other level of skill than the last time he'd seen her.

" _She nearly flattened that thing with just her boot! And she has a gun! Giving a hyper, hair-triggered girl a gun will always end badly! And she didn't even release her Zanpakuto! What's going on?_ " Ichigo's mind raced with all the new information, besides the pain from his battered and bloodied body felt for the duration of the fight as its unwilling spectator.

Just then a flutter of a billowing trench coat and autumn leaves landed right in front of Ichigo's battered form. Ichigo's eyes slowly rose up from the thigh-length black high-heel boots, to the fishnet leggings, her black mini-skirt, and black sleeveless shirt. Her Zanpakuto was sheathed on her left hip while her pistol was holstered in her left shoulder holster.

Ichigo couldn't help but linger on her soft face, the one he hadn't seen in over two years. He didn't notice her glare while he stared into her honey colored eyes until he felt her heel plant onto his face. Ichigo yelled in pain, as Senna repeatedly stomped on his face while yelling at him.

"You idiot! Why did you provoke a Hanta like that?! You tried fighting him?! What kind of guy challenges a Hanta without any-?"

Senna then felt something stir deep within Ichigo. Before she could figure out what it was, one of his flailing hands grabbed her boot so she began taking it off.

" _What was that I sensed just now? Reiryoku?_ "

Senna thought as Ichigo angrily twitched and yelled back at her. "Wh-Wh-What the hell? I just get nearly beaten to death as that guy was about to rape my Soul! And then you just show up out of nowhere, kick his butt, and step on my face! What's going on here?!"

Senna looked thoughtfully at Ichigo before smiling cheekily.

"It's been awhile, Ichigo!" She then laughed a bit while Ichigo twitched nervously before smiling fondly at Senna. Senna then kneeled and bent over and draped one of his arms tenderly standing him up. Ichigo could only wheeze and wince from the bulldozer slamming into his chest metaphorically representing his pain.

"I'll get you home, Ichigo. Don't worry about a thing," She said softly before she whisked them both away in a gentle gust of autumn filled wind.

* * *

Two sets of expressions could be seen on Isshin Kurosaki: fear and confusion. A very pretty girl in a goth outfit who seemed very familiar to him had a bloodied Ichigo draped over one shoulder. Isshin could barely contain himself with a barrage of questions,

"What happened? Did you two go on a date? Did he do anything ungentlemanly-like? Is it…?"

"Mr. Kurosaki! I need to use Ichigo's room for a moment! Please, will you let me?" The request sent the wrong impression to father of the house as a thin line of blood oozed from his nose and his cheeks became flushed. He pointed shakily towards Ichigo's room while Senna gave a hurried, "Thanks," and a halfhearted curtsy as she dragged Ichigo up the stairs.

Isshin then began to cry with joy, "My boy, Ichigo! He's all grown up and got himself a woman!" With that said Isshin tiptoed over to the cupboard, grabbed a cup, and tiptoed back upstairs just outside Ichigo's room to begin listening in.

Inside, Senna gently set Ichigo on his bed and ripped his shirt open to examine him. Ichigo moaned in pain and in protest but Senna batted his hands away as she gawked at his purple bloodied chest. Senna then formed some unfamiliar hand-signs in front of Ichigo until her hands were sparking off like electricity.

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he suddenly began thrashing away from her in protest, "What is that? Get that away from me?"

"Shut up! It's for your own good," Senna shouted before straddling his waist on top of him.

This just increased Ichigo's panic, but did little to stop her now. "What are you doing? Get off me, Senna! NOW!"

"You're going to be stuck like this until I finish! So take it or leave it!" Senna snarled back at Ichigo.

Ichigo finally submitted and Senna lowered her sparking hands slowly.

"This is going to hurt a little," Senna warned softly before pressing her shocking palms over the battered chest.

"ENRGHZZ! AAAAAAACKZ! AHHH! AAAARGH!" Ichigo howled in pain as Senna's palms pulsed over his chest and engulfed his body in a blue aura. Within moments as the pain started it ended as suddenly. Outside a very flushed and excited Isshin Kurosaki totally got the wrong idea through the door based on his own mind's fantasies.

"Ichigo, you sure know how to pick 'em," Isshin said sympathetically as he leaned back into the door to hear more.

Ichigo gasped out loud and heaved but suddenly felt better. He breathed deeply in and out and noticed the discoloration was gone from his chest. Even his head and lip felt no traces of the cuts and gashes he receive not an hour ago. Senna then smiled cheekily as dusted off her hands proudly from her handiwork.

"Th-Thanks, Senna. I don't know what you did, but I feel as good as new!" Ichigo said thankfully, but still felt awkward with her straddled on him still. He was becoming a little too comfortable with her on him.

Senna leaned in inches from Ichigo's face and whispered, "Your welcome, Ichigo. And thank you." Ichigo raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"For…gah?" Ichigo gasped as he felt Senna's form prone on him and her hand snake up his bare chest until it pulled on something around his neck. Ichigo looked down and saw an angelic smile as she unraveled a red ribbon from his neck.

"Oh! That," Ichigo said pointedly as Senna held it in front of his face. Moving it out of the way, Senna leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips before raising herself up away from his now flushed face. She hopped off his prone form before opening the door suddenly, smashing Isshin's face and his head onto the floor, gurgling and gasping in pain.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Mr Kurosaki!" she said innocently before looking over her shoulder and making a funny face before mouthing, 'Perv!' to Ichigo. Ichigo began laughing out loud as he rolled off the bed with the hilarity of what he witnessed, as Senna skipped down the hall giddily to the restroom.

"I-I think she did that on purpose...," Isshin said with pained groans.

Meanwhile, Senna was checking her red ribbon neatly tied back around her hair, producing the same pretty flair that she had ever so long ago. She remembered how flustered he was when he bought it for her because she took it without paying. She felt so happy when he gave it to her, like she was the only one he gave a gift to.

Suddenly, a phone went off in her pocket and she produced it and set her voice to a quiet professional monotone, "Yes sir."

"Senna, how's everything? We heard of Hell activity in Karakura Town where you were stationed! Is everything alright?"

"Yes, sir. Ichigo Kurosaki has been secured and is being taken care of. Nothing to worry about," A slight pause indicated a sigh of relief from the caller.

"That's good to hear. I would like you to keep protecting him until we can get a squad down there. I hope that won't be a bother."

"Not at all, sir. This is why you stationed me to protect him anyways. Because my…familiarity with him."

"I'm glad you two can have some _catching_ up to do until his awakening."

Senna bit her lip remembering the sensation of power below her inside him, "Yes, sir. I'm sure he'll be ready by the time they get serious."

"I hope so, Senna. For all of our sakes; the fate of all reality depends on it," The caller then hangs up, leaving Senna to slowly hang up her own phone before walking out of the bathroom. She found that Isshin had left the hallway and left for downstairs, in fear of injuring himself further from Ichigo's psychotic girlfriend. Senna walked in to see a dead-tired Ichigo sleeping peacefully on his bed. Tip-toeing quietly, she slid right next to Ichigo, watching the slow rise and fall of his torso.

Senna then proceeded to kick off her boots, shortening her height further, and threw her coat onto the floor. Next, she undid her Zanpakuto harness and pistol holster setting them on the ground next to her boots. After that she undid her hair, shaking it out till it was smooth, then tied it into a bow knot around her neck, the same way she saw Ichigo do it.

Finally, Senna crawled into his bed gently until she found a way to snuggle with him without waking him. With her arms wrapped around his muscular chest, and her neck snuggled behind his, she whispered,

"Thank you, for remembering me, Ichigo."


	3. Return to the Sword

" **Holding on to your sword is the first and most arduous task a warrior must overcome. Knowing when to let go of the sword, is harder than what most warriors can bear. But, to pick up the sword once more, is the hardest thing any warrior may face; even death by the sword**."

 **Bleach - Dark Prophecies**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Return to the Sword**

* * *

 _"Ichigo! Do…do you want to save your family?" A familiar image said, gasping and wheezing against a light pole, a giant bite mark oozing blood from the Hollow's attack. Ichigo recognized the image as Rukia's and heard himself speak again in a déjà vu moment._

 _"Yes! I'll do anything!"_

 _"Then…you must become a Soul Reaper!" As she lowered her sword towards him the images became distorted and blurred, up until where he grabbed the sword and plunged it into his chest. Fire filled his whole being, an unimaginable sensation as he was filled with powers he couldn't have thought possible…_

 _Then, another flash of images came to him._

 _This one he felt himself slipping away into a dark relentless void, watching a familiar image trot away, and his jagged edged sword scraping the ground before resting on his shoulder. Ichigo knew this image as Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of the 11th Division, a monster of bloodthirsty power. He knew he had to go through him to get to Rukia, but he no longer had the strength to even stand. The entire world then seemed to freeze, and another image, whose cloak was as fluid as water and shadows, stepped calmly and imposingly forward. Ichigo felt trepidation, shaking from near death and fear, wondering what_ he _of all people wanted. Zangetsu, in his physical form spoke in a deep commanding voice,_

 _"Do you want to fight?" He asked with a dark monotone, one that could be taken in a number of ways. But Ichigo tightened his throat, knowing that only he understood what he was asking for: permission. Clawing at the ground underneath him, Ichigo felt as if he as been asked before, if only in slightly different scenery and reverse positions._

 _"Do you want to win, or do you just want to survive?"_

 _"All I've ever wanted to do was win," Ichigo snarled, his voice shaking from the lost of blood and the pain._

 _"What was that you said?" Zangetsu asked._

 _"Surviving in of itself is pointless. There's no meaning in living unless you've won," Ichigo then looked at Zangetsu with the most determination he could muster before shouting, "I WANT TO WIN!"_

 _The images became blurred and distorted afterwards. There were some moments of his fight with his hollow self, accepting his blade as part of his soul._

 _Then Ichigo felt himself being beaten. Ribs broke audibly, spit and blood flew out of his mouth, his vision spinned, he didn't know how much more he could take. His oppresor, Espada #5, he could hardly remember, was breaking his arm, and he could hear Nel's begging screams._

 _"Ichigo...Ichigo, Ichigo. Ichigo!" Then he heard her scream mightily as anyone her size could._

 _"ICHIGO!" A mighty explosion of Reiatsu brought Ichigo back to the moment as both Espada five and himself gazed upon a older, beautiful, teenage looking girl with longer hair and the visible scar from her cracked mask. After a few flashes later, and a hug to near death as well, she smiled before putting on a confident face._

 _"Don't worry. I'll make this quick," When she turned a visible number three tattoo was etched underneath her shirt. The rest of the moments blurred into another scene._

 _Then, Ichigo saw an even more recent event. He was pinned against a white tree. Several swords were pinning him through a white material. He was coughing blood. The leader of the dark ones was retelling his story of how he was going to take revenge and using someone like Senna who 'shouldn't' exist as a way to achieve that goal made him sick._

 _Ichigo released his full power, sending a brief pulse to Senna and he could hear her heartbeat. Knowing she was alive was all the motivation he needed, blowing away the material around him with his Reiatsu, and charging at the Dark Ones' leader. Both spiritual pressures clashed, a violent maelstrom of energy forming around them. Ichigo managed to sever him in half, the leader's body slowly disintegrating behind him. He managed to find Senna, deep in the heart of the white forest, peeling back a number of dead vines from which ensnared her._

 _"I told you I'd find you," Ichigo said, cocking a crooked smile across his face._

 _"Shut up, you big idiot," Senna snapped playfully, smiling back with sincere gratefulness. That smile meant more than any smile from anyone else at that moment. When Ichigo propelled back to the world of the living, with his arm encircling around Senna protectively, he felt her trembling. It wasn't until her sad gaze over the horizon that Ichigo managed to lose grip of the ribbon he wanted to give back; lost to the wind._

 _Images swirled more, violently before his face, mixing his final moments of a Soul Reaper with Tensa Zangetsu and Senna's last minute of actions of life._

 _"I'm scared, Ichigo! I'm scared that..."_

 _"...what you want to protect is not the same thing I want to protect," Zangetsu finished what Senna began to say. Their sentences similar but more with the same purpose._

 _"But its okay. With a world filled with wonderful people and so much fun things I can deal with it. Its okay. Because, I can't stand the thought..."_

 _"...the one I want to protect the most..."_

 _"I'd rather sacrifice myself before I let you die, Ichigo!" Senna screamed out loud, causing a pain greater than he ever faced in the Soul Society._

 _"The one I want to protect the most, is you, Ichigo. And by using this technique I..." Zangetsu's hurt and pleading eyes reminded him of Senna, when she was about to depart from him forever yet it was her example that reminded that sacrifices to achieve victory is better than letting everyone else around him suffer._

 _"Will...will we ever, see each other again..."_

 _"...Ichigo?" The colliding images were jarring, making his head spin as he motioned to reassure the two simultaneously,_

 _"What are you talking about? Of course we will."_

 _"Ichigo," Zangetsu said before disappearing behind him utterly, had his sentence finished by another more haunting voice._

 _"...I feel so...warm." Senna said before he too felt her warmth as a final memento of her existence before disappearing utterly._

* * *

"Augh!" Ichigo let out a frightened gasp as he felt himself jarred awake, in a thin sheet of cold sweat. But this time, he felt something pleasant snuggling from behind, wrapped around his chest. He made a very slow turn so he was directly flush with his comforter. His face flushed almost instantly when he saw a sleeping Senna holding him, her luscious figure pressed against his.

"S-Senna? Um...ah, Senna?" Ichigo stuttered out with great hesitation. He was totally at a lost what to do, especially if his dad walked in right then. To his relief, Senna stirred enough to awaken with an almost immediate smile.

She noticed Ichigo's discomfort, smiled teasingly back. Drawing her face closer to him, she purred happily. "Gooooood morning, I-chi-go.~"

Ichigo swallowed down what he thought was the biggest lump and started smiling crookedly, "G-Good morning, Senna. Ah, what are you doing in my bed?"

"Keeping you company, obviously," Senna said coyly, pressing her lips chastely on his, making him blush even more. Through with her mischief, Senna released Ichigo, and swung acrobatically around and over his prone -if not shocked- form onto her feet. Senna was humming happily to herself as she was getting her boots back on. Ichigo turned slowly, twitching kinda confused-like, and noticed that the ribbon was tied around her neck. Her hair had definitely gotten at least a couple inches longer, looking just as smooth and fluid as the air in the wind. After putting on her boots, she then pulled her hair back into its trademark spiked pony tail. Ichigo then realized he had a total view of Senna's bare shoulders and arms, as well a pair of creamy soft legs now half garbed in thigh-high leather boots.

"ICHIGO!"

Senna shouted, bringing Ichigo out of his reverie and answering with a hesitant, "Y-Yes, Senna?"

Senna turned around with a serious yet sympathetic expression as she spoke, "I know you probably have a lot of questions. A lot of them I can't answer right now, but…"

"I actually don't have any questions right now," Ichigo interrupted, in a matter-of-fact tone. Senna looked surprised as Ichigo continued, "There is probably a good reason for what you're doing and why you came back. If you don't want to tell me some things, then I'll wait. There's no rush and we can do this on your own time."

"Ichigo," Senna said, a little awestruck he wasn't in a bundle of questions and queries like he was years ago. " _I guess he really has changed. He's so nice, being this understanding_ ," She thought and heaved a relieved sigh.

"Good! What I _can_ tell you, for one, is that you're going to be late for school," Senna said pointing to his alarm clock showing how late the time was.

"CRAP! Again, and again! I'm going to get another lecture," Ichigo scolded himself as he scrambled quickly to grab a shirt and his uniform. After a not-so-perfect look from his uniform, Ichigo scrambled out the door, waving goodbye to Senna.

The Soul Hunter returned inside the house humming and giggling to herself. She liked being forward with Ichigo, and seeing him blush a darker shade than his hair made her want to laugh all over. She noticed that he's gotten a little taller. What she also noticed was that when he was fighting the Hanta, he was in a very calm and collected state of mind. It'ss as if every battle after she _left -_ as she liked to think of it- had transformed him into a better warrior; a better man. She couldn't help but watch Ichigo fight against the Hanta and actually put up a good fight without his Soul Reaper powers.

After sighing amidst her reverie, Senna walked into the kitchen and made herself some toast and orange juice. Unbeknownst to Senna, a lone figure had been watching her every move; sniffing her scent; and examining her cup size.

" _They're perfect_ ," The stalker thought to himself. After climbing up to a suitable perch, he launched himself across the table-

-only to be greeted by pointy end of a bayonet handgun.

Still eating her toast and looking as calm as ever, Senna asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

Fortunately for the intruder, he managed to only stop short of the barrel and its bayonet. When Senna eyed the intruder she widened her eyes to the size of saucers.

"Y-You're ah-ah-!" Senna stuttered, gun trembling in her hand as the intruder stood up to full height of about one foot, hesitantly after nearly getting speared and shot at the same time.

"W-Wow, girly! D-Don't shoot the lovable mascot of the household," He pleaded, which was probably the last thing he should've done.

"You're a TALKING STUFFED ANIMAL!" Senna screamed out loud, the gun cocked and primed, and the stuffed animal felt more terrified than ever. But then, he felt very indignant from what she said.

"J-Just so you know, chick, I'm not just any stuffed animal! My name is," Striking far more masculine posture, his plush arms flexing imaginary muscles, with a deeper voice bellowing out. "The KING OF NEW YORK! And don't you forget it!

Kon then saw a menacing aura emanate from the goth dressed Senna, as the lights itself from inside the house seem to dim in the wake of her fury.

"Oh, I see," Senna whispered lowly, pointing the gun at Kon's head, making him wet with sweat, despite its impossibility. "Now I know what to put on your gravestone: KING OF NEW YORK! STUFFED ANIMAL PERVERT WHO MET HIS END BY THE WRATHFUL SENNA!"

Suddenly, all the fear went out of Kon, and he suddenly looked at Senna real hard. Senna cocked her head confused by the unusual being's change of stance. Kon suddenly saw that red ribbon. The one he saw Ichigo tie around his neck. The one he cried on, mixing his tears with the sweet aroma of honey and autumn.

Kon then said with a pointed paw, "OH! So you're that girl!"

Senna stuttered confusedly, "W-W-What girl? I never met a strange perv like you before in my life! Are you Ichigo's Dad's stuffed animal, cause you smell as awful as he does," She added in addendum, plugging her nose with one hand, and waving her gun-wielding hand at him with disgust.

Kon felt his eyes water, stinging from another insult from the hot babe that he beheld.

"Hey! It's not my fault! I didn't choose to live in some stuffed animal, it's all we got! Every day I get bullied whenever I try to get a look at one of his lovely lady friends. He even beats me up at home if I just get in his way, I say it's just a conspiracy of everyone in the world is against me. It wasn't until last week that he's not paid any attention to me, or anyone, for that matter," Kon summarized, looking thoughtfully at the end as he looked out of the kitchen towards the entry door.

"He probably had a good reason for locking up a lecher like you," Senna sighed, holstering her gun in her coat while bringing more pained tears to Kon's eyes. Rolling her eyes, she put a hand on her hip and gestured with other as she asked. "What do you mean _last week_?"

Kon then looked up at her smooth sensitive features before sighing. "Ichigo has been having nightmares, I think." After Senna made not motion to interrupt, Kon continued, "I don't think anyone could blame the guy when he fought that Aizen guy, he's been through a lot after all. But ever since he brought home that ribbon that you're wearing, its gotten worse."

"Worse?" Senna asked, leaning forward towards the finitely sized mod-soul before he continued; he averted staring at her exposed cleavage, less give her vindication for a ruthless reprisal on his tiny person.

"Well, he's been losing sleep; getting dark rings under his eyes, waking up in cold sweat. He doesn't act weird most of the time, but he's been getting very stressed out," He explained, watching Senna lean back to her normal seating position on the edge of the counter.

She felt very ashamed that she didn't notice Ichigo until after she passed him on the bridge. She couldn't bring herself to see him, after everything's that happened between them -to him- what could she say? After all that time it took a near-death crisis to have her rushing to his aid it felt a kinda déjà vu flip position for her. All she did was tease him and scold him ever since she reunited with him.

Standing up suddenly, the Soul Hunter stuffed the rest of her toast in her mouth and downed her orange juice before walking purposely out of the kitchen. Kon jumped off the table with a squeak, and ran to the door where he saw her clipping on her holster and her sheathed Zanpakuto before throwing on her v-cut leather trench coat.

"I remember seeing you, Senna!" Senna then looked at him with a raised eyebrow before he finished speaking, "You were the Soul Reaper babe who stepped on Ichigo's face and flattened all those red cone heads! You've gotten even hotter than before," Kon emphasized by ogling her rack, stepping closer in preparation for another lunge attempt.

With a sigh, Senna heel stomped Kon into the entryway floor. When she slammed the door closed, Kon moaned pathetically feeling a distinct hole through his head and couldn't remove himself from the floor.

"Why?!" Kon whined pathetically, "Why can't all hot girls be like Orihime?!

* * *

Ichigo had arrived with another inevitable lecture from his teacher about punctuality when he got there. When he sat next to Tatsuki during class, she kept giving him queried looks, followed by steely glares when he refused to answer her. She immediately saw the relief and lightheartedness return to his posture. Even when he was scolded, he responded with his usual indifferent attitude while secretly smiling. Tatsuki swore she smelled honey scented perfume on him. She even spotted a couple dark colored hairs on his neck.

Ichigo just continued to dodge her interrogations until lunch period, where he managed to sit with Orihime, and even Chad for a change. Orihime looked a little distracted, as if something was on her mind, while Ichigo chatted with Chad a bit. Ichigo then sighed, biting the bullet and looking dead-on at his childhood friend with concern.

"Orihime, is there something wrong? You haven't been yourself today," He stated after initial question was asked. She saw her squeak with surprise, avert direct eyesight and then began to nervously spout her mind.

"W-Well I-I, ahem, have been a little worried when you ran off the other day. You never came back," Ichigo felt his face flush a little with embarrassment, his mind instantly wandering to Senna's goth trendy look, and immediately swiveled his eyes from her when she asked. "Were you at the bridge yesterday, Ichigo?"

Ichigo felt a little torn on whether he should tell them about he was nearly killed by a kid, who's ghoulish attire looked like from a cheap horror movie ended up being a _hanto_ or whatever, trying to rape his soul after he killed him or the fact a girl who shouldn't exist -who probably doesn't have a inkling of memory among all who've met her before- that she mocked, beat up, and slew the demon before his eyes. He also would rather leave out the intimate scene he had with her after the not-so-pleasant healing technique.

Or that she's probably at his house, right now!

"W-What bridge, Orihime? We got a lot of those around here-" Ichigo answered coyly, only for Orihime to slam her palms and break his train of deception.

"Don't be lie to me!" Orihime suddenly yelled at him, gaining his full undivided attention. "I-I know you were t-there, Ichigo," She said in a quivering angry voice, her eyes watering, "I w-wanted to ask you if there was something else bothering t-the other day b-b-before you freaked out and left school. It was at that moment I felt **you**!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, confused and hurt that Orihime was feeling this way. They've been friends for a long time, and Ichigo vowed to himself that he'd die before anything bad happened to her. Now here she was, exposing the lies he was telling when he should've just been straight with her. But what did she want to ask him.

"Wh-What? What did you want to ask me, Orihime?"

"Did you see any ghosts, Ichigo?" She asked sternly, her eyes meeting his now without hesitation.

The Ex-Reaper gasped, feeling as if someone plunged an anchor into his being and it finally hit bottom. Ichigo felt like his whole world was turned upside down. The urge to find out more intensified with this revelation. He gulped down a lump of fear before asking her an uncertain question.

"W-Why do you ask, Orihime?" Ichigo said, his mind already assuming the answer.

"I felt your _Reiatsu_ , Ichigo," Orihime seriously stated, her eyes softening but her voice retaining a stoicism that was unlike her.

Ichigo's eyes widened, pupils dilated, his whole body shook with this sudden epiphany.

" _So that was what that feeling was. When I fought that guy, I started to…no, instinctively adapted to his movements. I thought it was the training but…well this confirms it_ ," He thought.

"Y-Your spiritual pressure, it felt like you were f-fighting. I f-felt your pain, Ichigo," Orihime began to sniffle as tears descended from her eyes like a leaky fountain. Her brave, serious expression gave way the emotions that were held back by will, now tearing at the seams with the words she expressed. Orihime was so close to Ichigo that he could feel her tear drops on his frozen hands.

"When Orihime got worried, she called the house and your dad said you were hurt pretty bad. He said not to worry, telling us you'd be fine by tomorrow," Ichigo turned his gaze to meet the exposed eye of Chad's showing surprise that he suddenly decided to talk. "When she told me what happened, we decided to inform Uryu about it, but he only talked for a moment saying he was busy."

"Sounds just like him," Ichigo smirked humorlessly, the situation demanded more energy and attention than thinking of jokes.

"I-Ichigo," Orihime said still holding back her grief to ask, Ichigo stared back at Orihime. "P-Promise me you'll explain when you figure out how to answer me. Please?"

Ichigo despite himself exhaled all of his tension and reached out with both hands, cupping Orihime's face gently, "I promise I'll explain it to you, kay? I'm probably just as confused as you are, so until then you'll just have to trust me."

Orihime sniffled and managed to smile as Ichigo wiped away the tears with his hands. She grabbed both of his hands, tenderly squeezing them before placing them on the table. "I trust you, Ichigo."

Satisfied, Ichigo smiled gently back at Orihime and Chad before finishing his lunch and headed off to his next class.

"I trust you, Ichigo. I'd trust you with my very soul," Orihime whispered quietly, watching his broad shouldered, messy uniformed form disappear around the corner to his next class.

* * *

" _Blah, blah, blah, and for a change of pace some more blah, blah, blah_ ," Ichigo inwardly complained. The high school student tried to keep from bolting out of class to reunite with Senna. Now that his friends knew he has spiritual pressure -a sign his powers didn't completely disappear- he had to resolve this not just for his own sake, but for theirs. He couldn't stand the thought of putting his friends through more pain than what they've already been through. His teacher was repeating himself again which furthered his annoyance. The class itself had another thirty minutes to go and it was his last one. No one except Keigo was in this class, and he had to sit right beside him. Keigo was drooling on his desk mumbling about some fantasy of his and it made Ichigo pissed off.

" _When will this nightmare ever end?!_ " Ichigo yelled inwardly, an angry vein twitching on both sides of his head. Another five minutes passed and Ichigo heard a rapid knock before a nervous faculty member came in and whispered rapidly into the teacher's ear.

The teacher grumbled under his breath as he suddenly pointed to Ichigo saying, "Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Y-Yes sir?" Ichigo replied confused.

"You're excused from the rest of class, but remember to study the chapters we're going over," The teacher said sternly, apparently not happy about his student leaving so soon. Whatever the reason, Ichigo bolted straight out of class, thankful the wait was over. Breathing a sigh of relief, he suddenly noticed something off; standing right outside of the classroom was none other than Senna herself, still in her goth garb in school.

"What the-?! Senna! What're you doing dressed in _that_ at _my_ school?!" Despite his outburst, Senna huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I got you out of that class early, so the least you should be doing is thanking me," Senna grumbled indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Ichigo said waving his hand dismissively and rubbing the back of his head by habit.

Senna pulled Ichigo by the ear and growled into it, "No, I don't think you do! First, you disrespect my choice of clothing! Then, you wave your hand at me like I'm a child! My Kami! Where did you learn your manners, your father?"

"NO! NO! Ack! Ouchie, ohhh, ah, Okay! I'm sorry!" Ichigo pleaded as the pain increased in his ear.

"That's a start! Now come on!" Senna snarled as she yanked Ichigo by the ear until they reached the door marked 'Roof Access'. Once they passed through the door and climbed the stairs, they were on top of the roof. Senna felt a cold chill from the air, the Sun already setting and blending purple and orange colors in the horizon. Freeing him of her grasp, Ichigo rubs his ear in self pity until he saw the view.

"Remember the last time we saw the Sunset together?" Senna asked with a smile of bliss on her face.

"Yeah, you were talking about how you liked to come up high above the ground. You always liked heights. Helped you unwind or relax, I think," Ichigo recounted, an equally blissful smile on his face. For a long few minutes the two watched the Sunset, enjoying the memory. Instinctively, Senna reached for Ichigo's hand, entwining her fingers with his. Ichigo felt a sudden warm feeling; one he hadn't enjoyed since holding her high above the water so long ago.

Eventually, Senna with let go of his hand with a tinge of regret, but she spoke out loud to Ichigo. "You know how I told you I'd explain as much as I could?" Ichigo nodded, watching Senna inhale and exhale deeply before she said, "Well, I think it's time I initiated you."

Ichigo looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a confused look, "Initiated? Into what?"

"I didn't learn how to regain my powers on my own, Ichigo. I had training, and the rest…well let's just say I'm a prodigy," Senna said with a satisfied smile, Ichigo shivering at the memory of the devastating power she displayed at the bridge.

"Who are you working for?" Ichigo asked with a hint of worry.

"I'm a Seer of the Soul Hunters," Senna said matter-of-fact.

"Uh," Ichigo looked blank as he asked, "What's a Soul Hunter?"

With a sigh, Senna turned to him and raised a forefinger, "For one, they are composed of ex-Soul Reapers and spiritually gifted humans. Depending on their power level, battle skills, and leadership abilities they are separated into four ranks.

"The lowest is the Acolyte, usually compromising of trainees, rookies, and low-power humans. The next up is the Specters, our advanced agents with higher responsibilities and deal with secret missions either in squads or on their own. The next rank is a Seer, comprised of some of the most capable members of the Soul Hunters, able to lead squads, perform espionage, and mount recovery missions. The next are the High Seers, the strongest and most experienced of our group. Lastly, our leader is the Overseer, the one who manages the Seers and monitors the organization. I personally have never met him, but he's the backbone of our entire organization, and without him, I might have never met you like I have, Ichigo," She finished with a warm smile.

Ichigo tried to log away as much of the information as he could but something was bothering him.

"W-Wait a minute, Senna," Ichigo said waving his arms about stopping Senna's instructions.

"What?"

"What is it with that gun? I've been wondering ever since that battle, but don't Soul Reapers carry swords instead of firearms?" Ichigo he inquired rightfully, with arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh! You mean this," Senna whipped out her bayonette attached pistol, spinning it in her hand before handing it to Ichigo. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief it didn't go off before grasping the weapon. It seemed pretty normal weight for a gun to him, but something felt different. Checking the gun over, Ichigo found a canister in the butt of the gun, shaped very much like a square with bright blue liquid.

"It's a Kido Gun. Standard issue hand-gun for most Soul Hunters; mine packs a little extra juice," Senna said pointing here and there to places Ichigo had no idea was important.

"A _Kido_ Gun, Senna?" Ichigo arched his eyebrow along with his sarcastic statement etching with unbelief.

Shaking her head, Senna grabbed the gun back before holstering back in her coat. "Soul Hunters are very well-known for their Kido Guns. They never go on a mission without one."

"Whatever," Ichigo huffed, not seeing why they carried guns for pragmatic reasons.

Senna took stock of the quickly disappearing Sunlight, and the sudden bell ringing from the end of school. She turned her eyes towards a dark corner by the roof access door, where it had been gradually getting darker as the day ended. Ichigo looked in the same direction after catching her gaze, suddenly seeing a figure form right beside the corner of the roof access door. Gradually a dark cloaked form stepped out from the shadows, as if he was ripping himself from it like wallpaper, appearing before them.

" **You done, Senna? We're not gifted with a gracious amount of time** ," The dark garbed form spoke, his voice low and guttural. Ichigo tensed up when he noticed it, had moved into a fighting stance until it mentioned Senna's name.

"Alright, Ryo. We'll start now and you can check the perimeter," Senna said with calm, assuring authority. The silhouette nodded -his cowl barely moving with emphasis- before disappearing back into the corner's darkness.

"Who was that guy?" Ichigo said, his pulse still racing. " _The guy was sitting there, waiting for her to be done. I didn't even see him there_."

"Ryo is a Specter. He was assigned to meet me here today, in place of a larger squad so we could keep a subtle presence in Karakura Town. But enough of that, it's time we start your rebirth," Senna said in a hurried tone.

"W-Wait a minute! What rebirth?" Ichigo said suddenly, confused and infuriated that Senna kept him in the dark.

"As you already guessed, the enemy has begun to make their move. In order for you to have at least a decent chance of warding off their dogs, you must reclaim your powers," Senna ordered Ichigo, now taking a leader roll.

"How do I do that exactly? I lost it nearly two years ago and this is my current strength right now," Ichigo exasperated. Within a few moments Senna was making handsigns again, and in a flash, a glowing blue star formation was made around Ichigo, exactly five feet of room from all sides of the sigil. Senna then made another fling of handsigns before her hand turned into glowing blue flames.

"Before I do this, I must tell you something important. Unlike me, your powers were cast away of your own choice. Something miraculous is the fact your Reiryoku is starting to return after only two years! If we had more time, you could possibly regain your powers entirely with no interference, but we obviously can't waste more days on risking another attack. You must dredge out the source of your powers and reconcile your choice to let go of them. Do you understand, Ichigo?"

Ichigo's dream from the night before, now made a bit more sense. The vivid collision of Senna's disappearing form along with Zangetsu's made it clear that his sacrifice was just as potently wrong as it was for her to give up her life. He had to make peace with them for that mistake and renew the bonds he had with his Zanpakuto; him and his Inner Hollow.

Nodding his head sagely, he focused his eyes with a serious stare and spoke in a level tone, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Don't worry, Ichigo. This won't hurt a bit," Senna said gently before thrusting her emblazoned palm upon Ichigo's chest. In an instant, his body radiated a gentle blue flame while his spirit was caught in an azure inferno. He opened his mouth to scream but suddenly felt him plunging into a topsy-turvy world; one that was both alien and all too familiar to him.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Senna was joined again by her hood-&-cloaked companion from behind. She kept an intense watch on his body, his eyes closed and faint embers of blue escaped the corners of his orifices. Even as he glowed ominously, she couldn't help but bite her lip and tap her left foot impatiently.

" **It's begun** ," Ryo stated the obvious, but quickly turned his words into something more meaningful. " **You worried?** "

Senna rolled her eyes before speaking to her subordinate, "He'll be fine. If he's successful, he'll be able to pull himself out of the stasis with his powers anew."

" **Time lapse?"** Ryo asked shifting his gaze to the horizon of the school, its distant sports field and the street beyond, with a line of suburban structures. As the Sun disappeared from view to give way to night, lights lit up in the distance of people continuing their remaining hours inside. He knew placing a barrier ahead of time to keep from common eyes from seeing their activites was the best course of action; yet he couldn't keep in account who else would get involved.

"About thirty minutes tops. Any longer and I'll be forced to halt the process and start again," Senna said confidently, noticing figures briefly in the distance before blurring out before her eyes.

" **What happens if someone interrupts the process, midway? We don't know what kind of state his body will be in if he fails** -"

"HE WON'T FAIL!" Senna shouted aloud, making the taller figure grimace with regret.

Then a presence spoke behind her, "I would like you to turn around slowly. Hands where I can see them.

Senna brandished her pistol, pointing it at her new arrival in a quick turn of the heel and flap of her coat. It was a young adult, black hair, bangs hanging either side of his bespectacled angular visage; one that looked surprisingly similar to Ichigo's. His eyes calculating, his neutral expression guarding any look of hostily he might bore to her; a white cape fluttered in the wind, matching the shade of the rest of his garments. Most unique was a blue spider-webbed Reishi bow extended held from the right hand while the left joined it, holding an invisible string that would materialize at an given moment. He stood perfectly erect and poised on top of the pole of a fence surrounding the roof's perimeter. She could tell at a glance he had the balance of a true athlete, and the stance of a true archer.

"I don't know who you are, but I demand you explain what you're doing to Ichigo. Righ now!" The young man demanded in a stern voice.

"And just who are you, four eyes?" Senna barked at her white clad arrival, a remarkable opposite compared to her choice of apparel.

"Uryu Ishida, last of the Quincy and ally of former Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki!" He declared proudly, making Senna twitched. She knew that his friends were probably going to try and stop her, if they ever knew she was risking his life to bring his powers back. But she didn't expect the Quincy.

"I'm sorry if I can't explain right now but I need you to stay out of my way! I'm not going to stop it! I won't!" Senna shouted, anger swelling within her.

"I regret having to do this," Uryu confessed, still speaking as another figure appeared, emanating a strong Reiatsu that caused Senna to swear aloud. "Even though I probably could take you both on myself, I'd rather not gamble on the possibility I'd hurt Ichigo. This will even the odds, I believe."

The figure held an unsheathed Zanpakuto. Standing next to the Quincy, garbed in grey trench coat, a blonde bowl cut and a slight overbite, the man looked at her irritably.

"I usually don't mind Ichigo's business but, that doesn't look especially healthy for him," Shinji Hirako motioned his head towards the blue light surrounding Ichigo's body; standing upright and motionless from his perspective.

"Stay away from him!" Senna shouted at him, giving the man a fright, as well as the Quincy. Senna began to visibly raise her Spiritual Pressure, a violent orange glow that pierced the air with density so powerful, both of them felt it weigh down on them.

Ryo suddenly appeared next to Senna building up his own Reiatsu, a malevolent dark blue burned around him.

" **I'll protect Ichigo, Senna. You can handle the other one on your own?** " Ryo asked with a hint of worry.

"Oh yeah! I've been itching to cut loose and this gives me the perfect opportunity. I'd probably hurt Ichigo if I get near him. Make sure to keep him safe while I take bucktooth out!" She ordered him, the Specter merely grunting with affirmation.

Ryo drew a colt revolver model Kido Gun in one hand, and with the other, brandished a six foot long Nodachi blade from a hidden latch on his cloak's back. In a flash, the mighty roar of Reiatsu could be felt all around the school, and to those who had Spiritual Awareness strong enough to feel it from even further than that.

To Ichigo, whole world around him could be bursting into flame and he couldn't tell. Ichigo felt himself finally arrive to a very familiar world whose homecoming he never thought to have again.

* * *

He awoke standing upright.

Standing on the precipice of a tall, square topped skyscraper, he could tell things were far more strange than before. The sky was grey, without the color of a vibrant blue and not a cloud in sight, giving a dull dreariness to his Inner World's atmosphere. Surrounding him were worn down structures, glass windows cracked and boarded up, the ground below thick with a bottomless fog.

It was the picture of depression, and he knew why this was the way it was.

"So, you've returned, Ichigo?" A familiar voice called out from behind. Turning, he saw the last familiar face he witnessed. It had a black hood, covering his upper visage but his pale lower half could see a grim expression. Reaching a hand from his long coat's right pocket, he uncovered his medium length black haired head and stared at him with cool, piercing blue eyes. "You've finally returned after two years."

"Zangetsu," Ichigo called out, his voice almost a whisper as he stared at the figure from the expanse of the two towers they stood upon. It couldn't have been more than few dozen meters in distance, but it felt almost a kilometer with just how long he's been gone; how weak he's become.

"If you've come expecting a warm welcome, Ichigo, I fear you've made some assumptions given how we've parted," The silhouette replied coldly, his brow creasing and his hand pointing towards him. "And it's Tensa Zangetsu. You'd do well to remember that."

"B-But I'm here, Zan-er-Tensa Zangetsu!" Ichigo begged, correcting himself as he took a step to the edge of the tower, hand outstretched. "I've come back for you!"

"Come back for me? Are you sure about that?" He inquired skeptically, his azure irises glowing angrily. "Or are you here simply for the sake of power?"

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo swung his arm out impatiently, "I don't have time for this! Zangetsu, come over here and take my hand! I'm ready to wield you again!"

"For someone too afraid to jump such a small gap, do you really think you're able to hold me again?" He asked with a challenging tone. Sensing Ichigo's hesitation, he closed his eyes and turned his back to him, pocketing both hands to walk away to the opposite tower's edge. "I thought so."

The sudden whooshing sound of a body leaping into the air made Tensa Zangetsu's eyes widen with surprise. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the look of the school uniformed Ichigo fluttering above his head and landing a mere two meters in a perfect crouch. Rising up he reached out to grab his collar, only for him to miss utterly.

"Zangetsu!" Ichigo snarled, his body now radiating with an intense blue Reiatsu, his eyes burning cobalt with his echoing _Resolve_.

"You shouldn't be so hasty, Ichigo," Tensa Zangetsu chided him.

Before he could protest further, a sudden monstrous sensation crawled up his spine and cover him with the sensation of thousands of blades poised to pierce his body. Shuddering, he barely turned around enough to witness the familiar sight of the one person he rather forget existed. There, standing a meter behind him on the same tower, was his doppelganger and the nameless Inner Hollow, wearing his long coat and black-over white horned mask.

The hollow raised his mask while speaking in a reverberating, sinister voice, " _ **Hello, King! Long time no see!**_ "

Grimacing, Ichigo heard Tensa Zangetsu speak with a cool glare aimed at his back, "If you are to be worthy in wielding your powers again, Ichigo Kurosaki, you must face your worst fears and overcome them. Fail in this, and you should have remained as you were: Powerless and unable to fight for yourself."

* * *

 **A/N:** This was an interesting revisit. Unlike before, there are some drastic changes I've made to this particular chapter. Unlike before, I'm removing the concept of Soul Reaper powers being used with a physical body. As a certain person once said, "Matter and Reishi don't mix," which means that it's tantamount to suicide to try and mix the two in an intimate manner as I had done. So that's being removed, regardless of how "Convenient" it was for me to not rely on Gigai and/or Mod Souls.

Secondly, the almost laughably Damsel in Distress situation I had placed Zangetsu in last time is just childish of me. As much as I wanted to keep an almost intimate relationship between the Zanpakuto and Soul Reaper, it just felt so out of character for the prior to be acting that way. I wanted to recapture the Kubo style of narrative so I really just made Zangetsu full of contempt and doubt, really wanting to test Ichigo's mettle while still keeping the Inner Hollow confrontation I had before; so in terms of conflict, nothing's changed, just the execution and theme of it all.

Just a little fun afterthought, I almost considered removing Shinji in exchange for Chad since I didn't do much with him in this series (I think I belittled him alot to be fair). But given how unable both Senna and Chad would be to fight full-out, I decided against it. Besides, I do like Shinji and he needs a good fight now and then. How much of their fight might change? That'll remain to be seen in the next chapter of Bleach - Dark Prophecies: Redux!


	4. I AM THE BLADE 4

" **This is the Final Getsuga Tensho. The culmination of all your power and potential into one final attack. By becoming Getsuga, you shall destroy your enemy; along with your path as a Soul Reaper.** "

 **I AM THE BLADE 4**

* * *

Ichigo had been prepared for anything Zangetsu threw at him; his Inner Hollow, however, was something he wished to avoid.

The nightmarish mask was pulled back and the eerie counterpart of his bore a maddening grin, full of pale teeth and a hint of a blackened tongue. Yellow-black eyes bore into his hazel orbs, his long white hair flowing over his shoulders and past his coat draped back. With a white clawed hand gripping the pale version of Tensa Zangetsu's sword he wielded just as much power -if not more- than his Zanpakuto Spirit nearby did. Given the confidence he had bolstered to confront his youthful embodiment of his spiritual abilities, he had to steel himself and keep himself from becoming sickened by the sight of the entity who claimed his features so closely.

" **Well, this is a nice reunion we got ourselves going** ," The Hollow jeered, his blade angled upwards from his side, his free hand waving nonchalantly in a flamboyant fashion. " **Brings tears to my eyes our esteemed King has returned to us once more. If I had tissues, I'd be tearing through them by the box**."

"Yeah, I bet you're so broken up," Ichigo snarled, his body settling into a stance he had learned from his many karate lessons of childhood. One leg leaned forward with the other slightly bent at the knee, an arm extended with an open palm curled by a thumb and the other forming a fist pointing knuckles up by his waist. "More than likely, you're just ecstatic at another chance of getting my body from me, right?"

" **Heh, you know me so well. It's like we're more alike than you'd care to admit,** " The Inner Hollow raucously laughed with declaration, eliciting a delightful glare from the ex-Substitute. Twisting the blade around in his hand, he twirled it by the chain attached to the tsuba, creating a saw of white in the air beside him. As he did, he casually placed a hand on his hip and thinly smiled at his counterpart. " **Tell me, how did it feel casting me aside? Was it refreshing, like a weight let off your shoulders? Or was it more than a dog, running with tails between its legs from its own dog house?** "

"Don't act like you know me, jackass!" Ichigo shouted back, his body erupting into a mantle of blue Reiatsu. "There was no other choice! You saw what I had to fight, right?! I couldn't have done anything else!"

"You're a fool to believe that, Ichigo Kurosaki," Tensa Zangetsu spoke to him from behind. The action made him flinch and look over his shoulder, giving him the observation that his Zanpakuto was giving him a cold, despondent look with his dark eyes. "You've only begun to see the foundation of our power. Its precipice would make any Soul Reaper, both of high and low, believe you to be an abnormality of absurd proportions."

This statement made the Strawberry exhale with surprise. He had thought he had become the strongest he could fathom when fighting Aizen. Strength had coursed through every iota of his spirit, exuding confidence and determination where he was emotionally conflicted before. Not even the evolving Hogyoku could stop him, and Mugetsu was proof of that.

But if he didn't need that, could he have won without such a technique?

" **Oi, stay out of this!** " The Hollow cried out, his spinning blade halted and suddenly engulfed in a flame of red outlined white. " **It's time I take your body. After all, what good have you done with it these past two years?** "

"Lived it the way I wanted to," Ichigo snapped back, renewing himself with a hint of doubt creeping into the bolstered Resolve emanating from his glowing blue eyes. "But now, with my life endangered and my friends' worrying for me, I have to take that sword back. Even if it means I have to rip it from your hands!"

The Hollow cackled, creeping into a thrumming echo with the mask pulled fully over his face.

" **Good luck, King** ," He jeered, swinging his sword and consuming the skyscraper's top with a flash of Hollowfied Reishi. " **You're gonna need it!** "

* * *

Senna has had her fair share of scuffles during her short, yet impressionable, career as a Soul Hunter. Combating the evils of Hell that crawled over from the other side had that tendency. That and the odd share of malevolent spiritual powers that differed from Hollows or weren't that far off definitely gave her experience and resilience in the face of the unknown. Going into this mission, she was given a bio of Ichigo that was scarily detailed and bios of many of his childhood friends, his family lineage and those in connection from him in the Soul Society.

This man, however, bore no familiarity or recognition from the data she was given. The bowl cut, overbite man who wore clothing that looked decades out of style seemed to be someone that should've been caught by somebody in their organization. Someone this telling should've been seen or talked about at some point. Yet, all his features were a mystery and thus his arrival with Uryu was both surprising and annoying.

Worse, his strength was comparable to her own; and she could tell he was holding back.

Their blades clashed, the air parted and crackled around them. A dry look was shown on his face, eyes half lidded and not even looking at her. Visibly twitching, she snarled and swung a leg around to kick him in the jaw; his hand intercepting by catching her boot covered shin.

"Sorry, girly, but this isn't anything I haven't seen before," He admitted with a sigh, gripping her leg tightly and turning on his heel in the air. With a strong throw, she felt herself hurtle towards the soccer field of the school's property. Twisting around to land on her boots, she skid and dug her stiletto heels in the earth, kicking up clods for meters as she slowed her momentum.

Upon stopping, she looked up and hiccuped with surprise as Shinji appeared in front of her, sword's back leaning against his shoulder.

"Listen, if you just stopped struggling, we could just sit down and have a talk-"

Out of reflex, Senna whipped out her Kido gun, unleashing a potent blast of Byakurai from the barrel. The sight made the Visored's eyes widen and sidestep with an alarmed expression as part of his hair and coat's shoulder was singed from the proximity of the white-blue bolt of lightning that cracked the air. Ignoring the top of the roof that was scorched, he slashed his Zanpakuto at her, taken aback as her boot swung to parry against his in a flourish of Reiatsu coating her boot. The resulting concussive force lifted him off the ground, making him open to a barrage of Kido shots from her handgun.

"Hey! Stop! No! None! Of! That!" He exclaimed repeatedly as he used Shunpo to narrowly avoid the flurry of discharges sent his way. In the storm of rapid projectiles, he widened his eyes at the silhouette of the goth garbed girl appearing to his left in a skilled use of Flash Step. A slash of her sword, wind natured Reiatsu connected with his defending blade's edge, creating a typhoon of force that sent him flying back into some of the school property's trees. In the explosion of his crash landing, wooden splinters flashed everywhere and evergreen needles tattered his dirtied slacks and coat. Spitting twigs out, he sighed and thrust his body through the natural debris back to his feet.

"Okay, you're not bad, I'll admit that," The Visored leader declared, dusting himself of twigs and tree needles. "Mind telling me who taught ya? You seem like Soul Society, but that gun and that appearance doesn't fit their MO. You rogue or something?"

"I'm not telling you squat, bucktooth!" Senna shouted back indignantly, reloading her Kido gun as she and her opponent took a few seconds to weigh their options.

"Hey! This is a winning smile, not a deformity, ya kinky slut!" He snapped back.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Senna howled back.

"I didn't stutter, you fishnet bitch!" Shinji jeered back with a cheek grin, cupping one hand around his jaw. "You're a hoe! A slut! THOT!"

" **Bring them to the Twilight!** "

"-say wha-?"

" **Mirokumaru**!"

Her cry released a torrential gust of wind and a faint recollection of the name broke Shinji's laidback countenance. His eyes widened, pupils dilated and his mouth agape as the girl propelled herself upwards, tendrils of electricity snapping around the twister formed beneath her feet. Her blade formed into a monk's prayer staff, she dipped sharp bladed end into the tornado's top and began to twirl her weapon like a baton; its movements guided and snapping with serpentine movement towards him.

"Aw crap!" He uttered, the Visored making a quick leap aside, the mouth of the twister crashing into the earth. Upheaving the land, the force of it blew his coat around him, his cap narrowly keeping to his crown with the aid of his free hand. Whipping around, he swore silently, twirling his own blade in a clockwise fashion as the electrical twister instantly bludgeoned him. Despite the shock and rotating pressure, he managed to chant out loud with an even greater torrent of wind to push her attack away. " **Hado #58, Tenran!** "

The move was enough to offset her momentum, dissipating her initial tornado her Zanpakuto had created. Regaining her balance, she noticed in a blink that the man dangerously appeared in front of her person, swinging his sword around and halting another twirl of her staff. The golden handle crashes against the steel edge, the pair of spirit weapons grinding with sparks dancing between the two as the prior's eyes stared hard at hers.

"Where did you get this Zanpakuto?" He demanded in a rare, stern voice.

"What are you talking about? It's mine!" She insisted.

"I remember a Soul Reaper under my command who had this Zanpakuto. Mirokumaru belonged to somebody, but I don't remember you," Shinji intoned seriously, brows furrowing and teeth no longer smiling. "Gonna give ya another chance to tell me."

Senna gritted her teeth. She felt like talking this man was going in circles, not to mention he was getting on her nerves. Raising her Reiatsu, she forced back the man with a brutal shove, twirling her staff around to loosen his hold on his blade, unleashing a snap kick that sent his sword skyward. With him disarmed, she whipped her staff to crack against upraised arm; however, the wind propulsion and force was stopped with a visible coil of Hainawa holding her weapon against his forearm.

"Since you're not going to tell me, you brat," Shinji snarled, yellow hued bone fragments materializing over his head to form a pharaoh helm with hollow eye sockets and partially obscured teeth. With his free hand, he pulled the mask fully down, creating a thuum of pressure that made Senna's eyes bulge and her mouth rattle from the wave of golden Reiatsu coming off his body. What's worse, was the sinister double timbre voice that escaped the mask as he growled out loud. " **I'm going to beat the answer out of you, ya fake!** "

Swinging his arm, he whipped the unbalanced Soul Hunter from her platform in the air to be kicked straight in the solar plexus. Bowing with the blow to her abdomen, she spewed out bile and saliva as the whole of her being was shaken by the attack. Twisted around in the air, she was relieved of her grip of Mirokumaru and overhead smashed on the back with a merciless Reiatsu coated punch. Hurtling down in an uncontrollable spiral, she'd create a plume of disheveled earth and a loud booming shockwave would be heard across the school property.

Everything hurt.

Senna could feel both blows shake her more than any opponent she handily fought before. There was only one enemy that dealt such punishing strikes on her person without even trying, and she knew they had no relation. The most unsettling thing was the layer of clearly Hollowfied power with the Soul Reaper kind. Whatever he was, did it have any relation to Ichigo's reported Hollow symptoms?

A sudden whistling cued her into the sudden throw of her staff towards her downed frame. Rolling out of instinct, she narrowly avoided being pinned in the crater by the Zanpakuto's sharp end. Breathing through shaky rasping intakes and hissing exhales, she grabbed the weapon, pushing herself with effort up to her feet. Looking to the edge of the crater, she saw the man rearmed with his sword and his mask fully donned.

" **So, you gonna start spilling your guts on what you're doing with a comrade's weapon,** " He began to ask, his sword now pointed in her direction with golden-black eyes narrowing dangerously from the mask's slits. " **Or am I going to spill your guts for you?** "

"Do your worst!" She spat a wad of blood defiantly, twirling her Zanpakuto around, summoning a vortex of wind around her. Even as energy cracked and snapped between the tight ring of rotating wind, she kept her staff spiraling in an elegant circle around herself. As she maintained her passive aggressive stance, she snapped back with resolve of glowing orange in her eyes. "No matter what it takes, I'll see Ichigo brought back from the brink so he can stop the evil that's coming!"

* * *

Uryu was starting to get frustrated.

For someone who possessed a reputation of being cool headed and reserved in his actions, the son of the last surviving Quincy fired many Heilig Pfeil at the staunch and unmoved statuesque of a cloaked man. From what he overheard before announcing his arrival on the scene, he had surmised his name to be Ryo but little else between the pair. The girl was vaguely familiar but he couldn't place why and how that could be possible. Why was she here now, for example, and how did they get Ichigo into that comatose looking state he looked to be in.

Speaking of his condition, he had made sure to not fire anywhere close to Ichigo's eerily still standing person. A single arrow from his bow could accidentally kill him, spirit and body. With him not having any powers, he couldn't survive such an attack. But what was strange was how he had the faintest sense that Reiatsu was emanating from his body. It was subtle, but the presence was undeniable and beginning to shift ever so suddenly.

But unlike himself, Ryo hadn't moved from his position near Ichigo. He had taken a few potshots at the Quincy with his Kido pistol -as strange as the concept was to his traditional mind- but hadn't moved close to use the long reach of his Nodachi shaped Zanpakuto. He could move the irregularly long blade with ease, deflecting and shattering arrows with reservation of his handgun being his only offense. He wondered if he was taking care not to cause as much rampant destruction to the rooftop where Ichigo was; a sentiment he saw Shinji had no qualms with when fighting the firecracker associate of Ryo's duking it out not far away.

"Are you finished?" Ryo inquired, finally breaking his own silence and the numbing deafness in the battle between them. "I'm growing tired of you scurrying around to land a shot at me. Is that all your Quincy arts have taught you?"

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Mister Ryo," Uryu replied coolly, adjusting his spectacles as he noticed the cowl of Ryo's hooded visage twitch a bit unnaturally. "And what of you? You've yet to take the offensive. Are you worried that you may actually hurt my friend; or do you have an ulterior motivation of holding back your powers?"

"You're half right. I do not wish to harm Ichigo Kurosaki, for that doesn't benefit our organization and it would displease our superiors greatly if he was harmed, let alone killed, by this trifle of a scuffle," Ryo admitted, his sword raised, revealing the black handled, thick steel weapon between himself and his enemy. "The part where you're wrong is that I am not holding back for any particular reason. I just fail to see you as a threat needing me to use more of my power than is necessary. That is all."

"Hmph, is that so?" The Quincy inquired, a grin -bearing resembling to Ichigo's when a challenge is presented before him- spread across his face. "I guess my probing your defenses is over then. Time to get serious."

Ryo silently readied his weapons at his sides, waiting for him to fire his Heilig Pfeil once more. However, instead of doing what he had been since the start of their scuffle, Uryu was suddenly in front of him, with his person still where he last stood. The latter image disappeared in a shimmer of light while the one in front of him fired an arrow at his feet, forcing him to backpedal. Retaliating with a blurring arc of his Zanpakuto to cut him down where he was within range, he narrowed his eyes as he slashed through another afterimage.

"Hirenkyaku," He confirmed aloud, feeling a presence appear from behind. He turned and fired his pistol, seeing it also disappear in a flourish of white light. Looking around, he was disconcerted at seeing dozens of Uryu all around him. It was a feat of immense skill to produce a number of images that seemed near tangible that could fool the eye and sense that the practitioner was there. He knew only the highest caliber of Soul Reapers had this skill, and even fewer of Hollow kind could replicate this technique.

Consequently, the eventual storm of arrows came towards him. It started off in the dozens, bursts he was capable of handling with little difficulty. Then it grew exponentially in milliseconds. It became hundreds, then thousands, circling and becoming a near dome of arrows. The projectile rain began to penetrate his defense, tearing at his cloak and forcing him to use Flash Step to complement his use of Kido through his pistol while his sword continued to spin in a dizzying blur.

Then, he stepped on a piece of earth that suddenly shot a Heilig Pfeil up through the sole of his foot straight upward.

Grimacing, he stepped back and the back of his heel was torn with another arrow cutting a groove through his left shoulder.

" _He planted some arrows as landmines when he fired at me?_ " He realized silently, his arms firing and swinging to keep back the storm of arrows while his body was taking a beating from the roof planted reishi spikes. Eventually, several got past his arms and landed an unseen cut on his cheek, two more on his shoulders, then one piercing his left knee. Falling over, he dropped his handgun to hold onto the spirit energy ribbon that thrummed through his knee cap, causing him considerable pain, handicapping his movement. Looking up, he saw the myriad of Uryu's duplicates disappeared, replaced with him pulling back the string of Ginrei Kojaku to his cheek. As a result rays of reishi lit up in streaks akin to stars of the night sky, making his bow pulse brightly till it became an incandescent cross of white fire.

 **"Licht Regen!** " Uryu cried out, unleashing a storm of arrows that were beyond human counting. Like a meteorite shower of pale azure, they aimed to cut him down and render him pinned to the roof effectively. In his haste, he failed to hear whatever words Ryo began to say as he unleashed his horde of projectiles. As he shot, a sudden spike of Reiatsu pulsed between the distance and a black blur of unrecognizable shape cross paths with the Soul Hunter's proximity.

In an instant, the column of Reishi was removed from the space between his bow and the Soul Hunter. In its place was the weapon responsible; an elegant pole-armed scythe as long as the Nodachi was, with intricate patterns woven on the handle down to a tear-drop pommel up to a wave-shaped crescent blade at its top. There it was held, the cutting edge pulled back over Ryo's shoulder, showing that he had finished slashing the air and was responsible for the sudden absence of Reishi for the Quincy to use.

Then, with a visible glint in his dark eyes beyond the hood, he slashed his scythe back.

"Oh shi-!" Uryu narrowly dropped the platform in the air he had stood upon above the roof. As he used Hirenkyaku to get to the roof quicker, he had smelled the burning of ozone, the shuddering of Reiatsu and then the mighty thunderclap as an imperceptible streak of white light scorched the sky where he once stood and penetrated the heavens, parting the clouds and twinkling in the horizon as it did so. The Quincy breathed with shock, his heart pounding as he looked back with strands of bangs obstructing his bespectacled gaze at the injured man standing upright with a slight limp.

"I told you, Quincy," Ryo announced, raising his Zanpakuto up before him in its Shikai state. "You're not worth this level of power."

* * *

This battle seemed to have no end.

Ever since he declared his intentions of not backing down to Zangetsu or his Inner Hollow, the latter took up the challenge to outright annihilate him while the prior watched on with vested interest. This was how it was from the beginning. Back when he yearned for the strength to rise up from his mortal wounds Kenpachi Zaraki inflicted, Zangetsu would use his doppelganger specter to pressure or coax him in the right direction. But now, he seemed to have no desire to rejoin him and is allowing this monster to kill him; taking control of his body from the inside out.

So far, the Inner Hollow had only been content to play cat and mouse. Ichigo hated to admit it, but his regulated use of Reiatsu was still rusty and the fake had much more stamina in spades. No matter how many blows he landed, the horn-masked creature just laughed it off and landed just as brutal a blow on his lesser frame. He was thrown from building top to building side. The latest had him smashing through an empty floor, glass shards scattering along with dozens of blank white cubes. Grimacing at the odd cuts and shreds of his default clothes he came in during this visit, he shakily stood up and saw the Inner Hollow gesture his head forward.

"Oh Hell-" He began to swear, turning on his heels and ran as fast as he could will his body. During the wave of Reishi imbued heat collided with the building, the old instinct of forming a dense cloak of Reiatsu to shield himself from harm came to him on instinct. He then clawed on the air for support, balancing himself in the air on a thin Reishi platform. Amidst the infernal explosion and shattering of the conceptual building, hundreds of cubes went flying into the air, hanging in an odd limbo.

He recognized them, from the first time he met Zangetsu.

" **Go ahead, King** ," The Inner Hollow beckoned with a wave of his unarmed hand. " **Pick a prize. I'll let ya choose any weapon. Not that you stood a chance, armed or not.** "

"Not a chance!" Ichigo barked back insistently.

The copy blinked behind his mask, tilting his head to the side with silent inquiry.

"You're holding onto something that belongs to me," He glared hard, pointing his finger at the masked Hollow. "You and the Old Man."

" **So what's your strategy then, hm? Keep running at me till you're too worn out to fight? Face it, Ichigo, you're not in any way worthy to wield either of us.** "

"If that's the case, why aren't I dead by now?" The former Substitute inquired with a challenging grin.

The Inner Hollow grew silent, his smile disappearing behind the mask and replaced with a scowl. He clenched the pale blade tight enough to make it rattle in his grip. The sword ignited in a pyre of scarlet ebbing white fire, his Reiatsu feeding into it till it had significant gait, painting him in a black and white silhouette with the output of power. Swinging the blade up over his head, he shouted out angrily, " **GETSUGA TENSHO!** "

Thinking quickly, Ichigo propelled himself from his platform in the air to one of the cubes. Smashing two more nearby, he whipped out two faux imitations of the Zangetsu cleaver, one a jagged curved scimitar and another a corkscrew kind of lance held by the familiar bandaged handle. Pouring his Reiatsu into the corkscrew shaped weapon, he launched it with a overhand toss into the gale of the Getsuga Tensho. The effort made the weapon shatter, but it was enough to warp and distend the overall attack. This made his follow-up rush charge with the scimitar casting his own Getsuga Tensho with the weapon, face first into the current of Reiatsu.

In the instant he cut through the Getsuga, the Inner Hollow's hand stretched out and grappled him by the face with a vice-lip grip. Lashing out with the blade, he saw the weapon shatter against his foe's body, doing no damage against him. Grimacing, he tried to pry the offending digits with his hands, suddenly feeling a familiar biting sensation of the Inner Hollow's sword stabbing into his gut.

" **You're heading to an early grave, you know that?** " He asked, his voice surprisingly solemn through the mask. " **You should've stayed in that quiet peace you had by throwing away me. Did you think I'd forgive something like that? Did you think that bastard would accept you after what you did?** "

Ichigo's nerves felt like they were engulfed in fire. He was coughing up blood, and the Reishi coming off the blade was burning around his abdomen. Rasping behind his antagonist's palm, he spat ichor against its surface as he switched one hand to the sword embedded into his stomach. The rush of familiar power radiated his fingers the moment they cut against its razor edge, memories of how many battles he had both with and without the mask, the slow replacement of the Hollow in place of Zangetsu and his adamant declaration that _he_ was Zangetsu.

" **What about Final Getsuga Tensho do you know fuckin' understand, you dumbass?!** " The Inner Hollow cried out, ripping the blade from Ichigo's hands and gut with a bloody flourish. Thrusting forth, he'd smash Ichigo's body into a structure, past its wall and out the other side with a roaring rupture of force. He'd follow this pattern as he continued to shout angrily. " **You had no choice, you say?! I say you had every opportunity to crush Aizen like a damned ant he is! With my power, there'd be no chance he'd walk away. But instead, you had to listen to your dumb dad and use a technique that'd leave you helpless. Just how did you imagine your final days ending up?! Growing old?! Natural causes?! Just because you stop fighting doesn't mean the world hasn't stopped targeting you, asshole!** "

Amidst the following crash through the seventh building, Ichigo's pained expression turned into a visage of burning rage. His body erupted with a nova of Reiatsu, his right arm swinging around to connect with his Hollow's mask, shattering half of it with a popping impact. As he reeled back, Ichigo grabbed a piece of flying debris and coated his Reiatsu around it. With a snapping toss, it exploded against the Inner Hollow's chest, causing the stunned being to reel back with surprise.

"Do you think I did this casually?!" Ichigo snapped back, following up with a bloodied punch against the Inner Hollow's jaw, the exposed jaw bruised and spit flying out as he stumbled back. "I was stuck! Aizen was a monster I couldn't beat normally. I didn't have a week to train, I didn't even have time to come up with a new strategy. The only thing I had on my mind was stopping him from destroying everything I love. If I had the choice again, I'd do it the same to save everyone-"

"IDIOT!" The Hollow snarled, swinging the blade and releasing a gout of air pressure that sent Ichigo skidding back in the skyline. Following him, he'd begin to madly swing and stab at him, with Ichigo narrowly avoiding each blow by a hair's breadth. With half of his face exposed, Ichigo could see just how infuriated he was, his pupil dilating and his eerily similar mouth opened to show his feral bared teeth. "No one asked you to be a freakin' martyr! Sacrificing yourself never wins the war! Aizen may be your enemy today, but will come from tomorrow? Do you think they'll be okay then? Did that ever cross your stupid mind then?!"

It hit Ichigo just the fathoming of his decision and how it impacted him in the present. Had he not sacrificed his powers to weaken Aizen he could have done something of the similar results without using the Final Getsuga Tensho. He wouldn't have been separated from Rukia, cut off from those he knew in the Soul Society and feeling utterly powerless with everyone carrying on without him. The bridge confrontation with Kuzuri wouldn't have been a near death experience, and he wouldn't have been put into this position to begin with.

Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes, lowering his arms as the Hollow got close.

"What are you-?"

He didn't get the chance to finish the question. Within a moment of the blade reaching his perforated waist, he grabbed both the Hollow's hand and the sword. A pulse of Reiatsu swam from his palms, coloring the blade black and the weapon became its iconic shape it once had when he last fought Aizen. The black gauntlet formed, from his fingers up his forearm with a streak of chains wrapping all the way up his shoulder. With it, Ichigo saw the remaining wisps of the Hollow look on with a reinvigorated grin.

"It seems...you've regained your fightin' spirit," He remarked with a fading glare. "But, I still hate your freakin' guts for what ya did. The moment you trip up, I'll be taking that body of yours from ya."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Ichigo acknowledged with a stoic gaze, watching him ebb away into the dreamscape. Finally, he turned and looked up at Tensa Zangetsu with a slightly worried expression. He felt beat, even with this new acquisition of power. Did he have to fight him too?

"It seems you've remembered, why the easy way out is never the solution," The youthful Zangetsu stated from the distance, looking down with his sword held back. "I'll let you regain your powers this time, Ichigo. But remember, there is a price to pay for laying down your arms. Do not expect your enemies to be as honorable as your previous opponents. These are the denizens of Hell, and they'll stop at nothing to achieve their objective."

"I know," Ichigo intoned with a sage nod. "I'll fight with every fiber of my being until I teach them why it was wrong to cross me."

"That's more like it," Tensa Zangetsu gave a rare smile in respect to that answer. As quickly as it came, it vanished. "Ichigo, before you go, you should know something important about your powers. It won't become clear until you truly test your mettle against your next threat."

"What's that, Zangetsu?"

"The Hollow that bears your resemblance, that uses Zangetsu, is more a part of you than you credit it," He declared, his finger pointing at Ichigo, finishing his words with finality. "It is as he says: _he is Zangetsu_."

Ichigo, puzzled to what that truly meant, felt the world suddenly shudder as Tensa Zangetsu imparted him with this revelation. Power surged through him like nothing ever before. The memories of two years past were brought to the fore as his spectral body erupted and came to the waking world with a fury that none could expect, let alone plan.

* * *

It was awesome to behold. Ryo felt himself thrown off the roof with the Quincy, a tumultuous gale of Reiatsu cracked the foundation of the school gym roof he stood upon. His body, glowing a bold blue became an incandescent white and thrust a pyre of Reishi straight into the sky, the previously clear skies now an instantaneous storm of epic proportions. Lightning snapped within the heavens and the light funneled high in the atmosphere, penetrating the barrier the Soul Hunters had left, and leaving an impression throughout the Six Realms.

"Ichigo!" Senna cried out with worry. Forgetting her battle she had with Shinji as the aforementioned Visored unmasked at the terrifying and splendorous sight. In the pillar of light she made out a black silhouette with long black hair, a deep midnight body of flames and grey scales staring out with red eyes. Her breath hitched and fear clung to her body.

For as mighty as his power was, she couldn't even feel it; as if he was on a different plane of existence.

"...well I'll be damned," Shinji gawked out loud, witnessing the sight with an unnerved smile. "I kinda feel stupid for asking but...is that really Ichigo?"

"I am not familiar with that form, but that is where his body was placed. What we are seeing is his spiritual form and the release of two years of pent-up energy residing dormant and silent," Ryo answered, now standing next to Senna with Uryu next to Shinji. Even as they turned to acknowledge him, he sealed his scythe back into the Nodachi, and hid it within the bottomless recesses of his cloak. "He was a completely different kind of being when he fought Aizen. What we are seeing is the culmination of that power and effort. He theoretically should return to a familiar state in a moment."

Just as he spoke, the endless funneling light burst and blew out in a cloud of Reiatsu vapor. The gym collapsed under the weight of his power release but little else of the school was harmed as his person was revealed. There, in the silhouette's place, was a black Shikhakusho garbed Ichigo, holding something with his left hand with something similar but new in the right. His Zanpakuto was the butcher blade, but was sleek and had a streamlined pole handle. The hand that held it was in a metal gauntlet that trailed chains up from the pommel, wrapping up his bare arm up to his shoulder. With a torn-sleeveless kosode top, one could see clearly his uniform was a bit rougher to the eye but still as impressive with the red bandoleer band wrapped around his chest and a frayed collar around his neck.

The thing in his left hand, was his physical body, covered in soot and dust from the building's collapse.

"Looks like I'm going to need Kon after all," Ichigo said, breaking the awkward silence that fallen on the group. Looking around, he saw the gym was crushed, the field was a slew of impact craters and turned over soil, and some of the front of the property was peppered by holes. Turning to glare at Senna and Uryu, he pointed, shaking his body with protest. "HEY! DID YOU DO THIS TO MY SCHOOL?! YOU GOT SOME NERVE PULLING THIS WHILE I WAS OUT COLD!"

"Well, looks like we worried over nothing," Shinji sighed with a shake of his head.

"Ichigo, next time you start seeing strange girls, tell us about it first," Uryu protested, adjusting his spectacles with a glare aimed at Ryo and Senna. "And when you're going to do something reckless, consult us."

"Don't worry about the school, Ichigo! I'll clean up the place nice!" Senna exclaimed.

"And what about the gym?" He asked with a sidelong glance at his own handiwork.

"Uh...you're out of luck there."

"Oh that's just PERFECT!"

" _Welcome back, Ichigo,_ " Uryu thought with a hidden smile.

* * *

"Do you feel that?"

"Yes," A voice echoed to the other. "It can only mean one thing. Ichigo Kurosaki has regained his powers."

"This means those plotting fools are going to make their next move," The first said with apparent resentment. "If they know anything from observing that monster is that their plans will only lead Soul Society into full awareness. The Soul Hunters have kept this war discreet and subtle, under the radar of the Seireitei. If they bring them in-"

"It matters little," The second declared, a deep chuckle that resonated in the pitch blackness the first stood in. A pair of red eyes, burning and the only source of light in this abyss gleamed with ambition and malicious intent. "I've bid my time for thousands of years. Letting them try their hand will only allow my strength to build further. It's only a matter of time..."

* * *

 **A/N** : Aaaaaaand that's a wrap.

I apologize to those eagerly awaiting this installment of the Redux. I was almost halfway through with the chapter when my whole computer died via Natural State failure. So I was out of commission for a couple of weeks and then I had to come up with a proper recovery. Without my data from the previous chapter, I was stumped and I had to come up with what you see before you. I tried to emulate Kubo a lot more in this chapter, both in actions and personalities. This was especially for the much needed update on Ichigo's battle with his Inner Hollow; I cringe hard when I reread that part of my story. The rest I did just for the thrill of updating the combat to showcase the strengths of all four characters.

If you liked, please leave a Review letting me know what you think. Until then, see ya on the next update of Dark Prophecies: Redux!


	5. Recovery

" **Awaken, ye beast, o'er slumber has all but ended. Thy work has yet begun. Forget ye trifles of old. Tonight is for the bold and tread deep into the unknown.** "

 **Chapter Five - Recovery**

* * *

True to her word, Senna began to mend the damage to his school that their battle had left behind. Truly it was but a trifle and patching it was merely using the right kind of Kido to move the earth, grow grass and heal trees that were blown over. Craters were erased, trenches buried and the rest of the field of Karakura School was fixed. The only thing that was beyond the scope of fixing, thanks to Ichigo's immense downpour of Reiatsu on the structure, the gym was going to need material fixing.

Sighing, he turned to address Shinji and Uryu officially. Inhaling, Senna plunged her ears on reflex while Ryo took a step back.

Then, he let out a shout, "URYU! EXPLAIN! WHAT! HAPPENED! NOW!"

"We tried to stop your ritual because it looked like you could die, Ichigo," Shinji said bluntly with a shrug. "Uryu has suspected by the way you were dragged around by some girl who didn't attend your school that something was off. So he approached me, telling me to keep this discreet by not getting any of my group involved, as he'd likely do the same."

"Oh you'd know all about unwanted people at school, wouldn't you?" Ichigo snidely retorted with arms crossing his chest, glaring at him.

"...ok, I deserve that," Shinji sidelong stared away from the angry Strawberry with a sigh. "Still doesn't change the fact you were placed in undue risk without any companions knowing what you were going through."

"He knew the risks, and I knew he would win!" Senna snapped back, stepping next to Ichigo and yanking on his spirit form's hand; the very one holding his inanimate physical body. Noticing that, Ichigo rolled his eyes and gingerly reentered his body, causing it to glow and drop to his hands and knees. Returning to stand, he gestured for an impatient Uryu to counter Senna.

"The fact that my suspicions of you were correct isn't refuted here! Soul Hunters? I've never heard of a rogue group of deserting Soul Reapers before! Given you performing such a thing without his friends' knowledge was exactly the reason for me stepping in on his behalf!" Uryu retorted, feeling indignant from all of accusation aimed at him.

Senna was about to reply Ichigo responded himself, a lot quieter this time, "I get it, I understand. I'm sorry for not letting you guys know but I didn't even know what I was supposed to tell you. Something like, 'Hey guys, oh by the way, my friend Senna who disappeared came back and saved my life from a demon guy who tried to rape my soul. Now she has to protect me and the best way of doing that is risking a confrontation with my...Hollow within and Zangetsu!' I didn't know and now I do, and obviously you too. So, let's stop fighting, please!"

Uryu was about to issue another rebuttal, but held his tongue, now feeling a little more satisfied. After him, Shinji scratched his head sheepishly as he cast a glance towards Senna, "Well, this is awkward. Sorry for fighting your girlfriend, Ichigo. I wouldn't have if I knew you could take it," he said, looking dull and nervous at the same time.

"Forget about it," Senna said with her hands on her hips. "You gave me a good workout. It wouldn't hurt either for Ichigo's allies to keep an eye out for him, so I can't fault you for not trust me when I did this behind your backs."

Shinji scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Well, seeing as your opponents are as tough as you say they are, with Ichigo being their target, that should go without saying we need all the help we can get!" He said, smiling with his overbite, his eyes deadly determined.

Ryo nodded his head in appreciation, the best he can emote without revealing his true form. "Then we are agreed. We protect Ichigo's soul and we stay vigilant."

"Indeed," Uryu said pushing his glasses up, smirking at the way things turned out.

"Good, glad that's settled," Ichigo said, smiling brightly, something he hasn't done in a while. Senna always liked his smile, since the day they met. It was genuine, not fake like a lot of people do. She felt sad for not being with Ichigo during his hardships, his suffering, and his victories. She then decided she'd be there with him to the end.

"Come on, Ichigo! Let's get you home before the whole town sees you before a demolished school gym," She said cheekily.

He was about to agree, when Ichigo felt a pair of presences approach. With Uryu turning his head in sync with Ryo, Shinji following Senna, they all joined Ichigo in walking towards two signatures coming their way. Thankfully it didn't take long to discern who they were. A shimmering orange-golden halo propelled a buxom, orange-blonde Orihime Inoue in a pink sleeveless blouse with a cream hood, black short-shorts, dark blue stockings and a pair of brown shoes. The other was the tall, stalwart Chad, dressed in only a heart emblazoned white tee-shirt, jeans and white tennis shoes.

"Chad!" Ichigo cried out, turning his gaze to the aerial Orihime. "Orihim-"

He had made the mistake of simply locking eyes with her, as a tear-stricken girl launched herself from the triangular platform and throttled towards him in a pell-mell glomp. Caught off guard, Ichigo collapsed onto the ground, much to everybody's surprise. Senna blinking owlishly at the scene as Ichigo's classmate smothered him in her cleavage as she burst into hysterics.

"I-Ichigo! A-Are you alright?! I-I felt your Reiatsu a-all of a s-sudden an-and-!"

"MMPH! NNNGH! MMMMF!" Ichigo tapped her shoulder repeatedly, his face a mixture of red and blue from asphyxiation; along with the intimate facial contact to her snugly covered bosom.

"Oh! I'm sorry," She released him, suddenly self conscious about her close proximity. Wringing her hands, she looked at him and stared into his eyes, almost knowingly. Without much of a gasp, she responded with a stoic tone. "You regained your powers."

Chad, just having arrived, just silently stood agape while Uryu and Shinji gestured with acknowledgement to the big highschooler. Without much fanfare, Ichigo simply relayed what had transpired in his confrontation with Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow. The only thing he decided to keep to himself -more for personal digestion than anything- was Zangetsu's proclamation of the true nature of the Hollow within him. More importantly, they revealed the latest attack by a demonic being known as Kuzuri who was sent by a demon lord known by Ryoken Junta. The experience of seeing her reaction go from a look of worry to a stern glare made him react with a flinching movement.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She asked plainly, eyes unwavering on his.

"I well-"

"We didn't want to worry you, Orhime," Senna interceded apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Senna, but that's not fair of you to decide what will and what won't worry me," Turning her gaze to hers, she looked at Chad and then to Uryu with a fierce glare. "Or any of us."

"I only followed up on a hunch, so it wasn't like I was keeping something secret from you-"

"No, you were," Chad intoned bluntly.

He sighed, looking to Shinji who simply shrugged nonchalantly. With his gaze looking to Orihime, he couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. With all they've been through she must have felt betrayed with the willful withholding of information; especially when it involves the safety of someone so close to her. He was thankful Chad wasn't too visibly sore -though his blunt tone was anything but pleased- so that eased his worries just a bit.

"Ichigo, didn't we go through so much together those years ago?" Orihime asked, a bit softer as she stepped closer to him with eyes gleaming with emotion. "Aren't we friends?"

"Of course!" Ichigo readily exclaimed, his voice slightly shaking along with his body. "You're precious to me, Orhime. It's exactly that reason why I kept this danger from you. If you were put in harm's way, with only myself to blame, I couldn't stand that!"

"How do you think I FELT when I sensed you ON the bridge, Ichigo?!" Orihime shouted unexpectedly, making the Substitute Soul Reaper back up a step. Her eyes were threatening to moisturize but held the same tint of indignant emotion. Sniffling, she jabbed a finger at his chest, continuing to surprise the usually dauntless classmate of hers. "I knew you were in trouble! You promised me you'd tell me if you were going to endanger yourself! Do you think, maybe for once, that keeping us in the dark is worse than us knowing what kind of danger you're in?!"

"I can't," He replied, his words filled with hurt and eyes colored with pain that struck a chord in Orihime's eyes. "I-I can't lose you again, Orihime. I was so close to losing everything all those years ago. I didn't want this to happen, this strife and conflict, to continue. But I was wrong; it'll never end and I was a fool for thinking it," Lowering his head till his bangs covered his eyes, his hands made balled fists, teeth clenched hard in his jaw till they hurt. "I need to get stronger. I need to be able to protect those I care about. I can't let my friends shield me any longer. I have to fight for myself, fight for my family, and fight for you," Looking up, he whispered sincerely as he looked back at her tearing eyes. "Never again. I won't let you be hurt or caught in my mess again."

"Ichigo," She replied, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his middle to hug him tightly. Despite the awkwardness of her advance, he eventually reciprocated and held her head and back to his chest. As she held him, she quietly told him. "I'm not afraid of the danger. I was afraid that you'll shut me out and won't let me stand by your side. I want to show you how strong I've become and prove how worthy I am to stand on my own."

"I know, and I'm sorry," He sighed, stroking her head as they parted gingerly. Smiling down at her, he thumbed over to Senna and her compatriot. "I've got expert demon slayers on my side, so I feel like my chances are on the up and up. But since you want to help, we can find ways-"

"Guarding your home is the most likely course of action," Ryo interjected.

"Excuse you?" Ichigo turned with a twitching brow.

"No, he's right," Shinji implied with a awkward shrug, earning another glare of ire from the Strawberry. "If these demon guys-"

"Hanta," Senna corrected.

"-Hanta, whatever," The overbite Visored rolled his eyes. "Are able to disguise themselves as human beings and use their powers out in the open, like myself and those two, we got a problem. Discretion is required until we get a proper gauge to speak with Soul Society. Given how, ehhh, stubborn the old man is I doubt he'd just let you stay in the Material World once he finds out Hell is after your ass."

"A difficult if not understandable measure, on their part," Uryu agreed, getting a strange look from several of his peers. "Given Hell's reach is extended only in the Living World -due to the obvious slaying of tainted Hollows- Soul Society is more than likely cut off from them. It'd technically be safer, for you, if you brought this matter to them right away. But that'd leave us a bit undermanned and perhaps even without any form of assistance of the Thirteen Divisions' military in efforts of keeping any of the enemy from coming there."

"Well I'm not going. At least, not yet," Ichigo determined, crossing his arms over his chest. "I want to keep an eye on my home town, see my friends are safe. If Soul Society wants to send people to come get me, let them. I just need to get things straightened out here while I get a handle on my powers again."

"I'll stay at your place, then," Senna proffered.

"Uh-"

"No, that's final," She insisted with a hard stare, making Orihime blink owlishly at her audacity. "I've already been to your place already, so it won't be strange. If your friends want to camp out around your home to make sure you're safe, I won't stop them. Ryo will keep watch from the shadows, but they can feel free in staking out the place. At least that'll mean everyone will stick together and keep safe from any possible additional Hanta coming to this world."

With a sigh, Ichigo scratched his head and groaned aloud, "Fine. It didn't stop a dozen people crashing in my room when the Arrancars were a thing. Might as well make it a headquarters. _Again_."

* * *

When Ichigo and Senna arrived at the household, they were greeted by a trio of confused and awed faces.

Karin had the look of, " _What the heck?_ "

Yuzu was eyeing the girl and was like, "Oooooh, Ichigo has a girlfriend since when?"

And the dad -the one who is supposed to be the man of the house- was twitching shell shocked. What his exterior goofy facade didn't show was the legitimate surprise at feeling his Reiatsu like Karin had. But he didn't let it show, rather making his comically open mouth so wide it could have swallowed Zangetsu whole.

Ichigo, having held Senna's hand upon her insistence, let go of it once they were at his family's home front door and nervously spoke, "H-Hey guys. Sorry I'm late! I was just catching up with an old friend."

Yuzu was the first to ask, "Ichigo? When did you start dating?"

Ichigo nervously stammered over words like, 'Uh' and 'wha' and 'me', not really wanting to get into his relationship with Senna.

Isshin looked over at Yuzu and whispered loudly, "Yesterday, I think Ichigo met her at a night club!"

"D-DAD! I did not bring her from a night club! Don't you remember?" Ichigo growled, blushing intensely but feeling mad about it.

Karin's face lit up with a dawning realization as she said, "OH! You're that girl Ichigo brought home a couple years ago and she slept in his room!"

Everyone then glued their eyes in wonder at Karin's realization.

"REALLY?" They all said, even Senna, at Karin's intuition.

"What? You think I'd forget the look on your guys' face," Karin said pointedly at Ichigo's dad and Yuzu.

"R-Right! I knew that," His dad said, although was probably not remembering a thing. Yuzu nodded back, also remembering nothing very much at all.

"Suuuure…right. Hey, dad! Can Senna stay the night again? Until she's got a place to stay and all?" Ichigo's question was met with a lot of shocked open mouths again, most of them asking why he asked 'again' or why is Senna staying over and stuff.

Eventually Ichigo forced his way in, holding onto Senna's hand as he walked to his room and slammed it shut hanging a 'do not disturb' sign outside.

Ichigo then flopped onto his bed, totally exhausted from his newfound strength and all the drama involved. He moaned at what happened to the school being a complete misunderstanding that should've been handled with a little more thinking; like his friend Uryu _should've_ done, in Ichigo's opinion.

Senna cooed to Ichigo as she began massaging his body from above him, "Is Ichigo feeling worn out? Will this help?"

"Ooooooh…yeah, Senna. That feels…good," He began to sink into the feeling of Senna's touch. She began grinding into his sore body starting with his back, up to his shoulders, and then his neck.

"Ugh…what am I going to tell the others about what happened to the school?" Ichigo moaned, still thinking about the ramifications that would occur.

"Aw, don't worry your pretty orange head about that. My superiors will probably donate a large sum of money to cover damages and a location for the students in the meantime," Senna said assuredly.

"Oh man…reallllly? That's, oh yeah right between the blades, yeah, good to know…ooooh yeah," Ichigo muttered with a sigh, feeling totally blissful in this state of relaxation.

Of course Yuzu and Isshin were right outside with their respective glasses, listening in on Ichigo's relaxed noises. Ichigo's dad was developing a nose bleed along with his daughter, thinking the gutter thoughts they were. Suddenly however, a sword cut the hair off the top of the dad's head, sticking right through the door, causing him to instantly pale before crawling away for fear of his life. Yuzu was pale and crawled in the opposite direction, trying to be wise and leave well enough alone.

Senna smiled, knowing they would be left alone now as she snaked her hands underneath his robes and began kneading his muscles with her warm hands.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh…Senna, that feels soooooo gooood…yeahhhhh….," Ichigo groaned from the practiced massaging from Senna's expert hands. " _This feels so good! I can't believe I haven't had a massage until now! Oh yeah Senna,"_ he relaxed inwardly.

Senna then playfully leaned onto Ichigo and nibbled his ear, pulling on it.

"Wha-Senna?" He asked now confused a little by Senna's now playful behavior

"Ichigo, do you like Orihime?" She asked quietly.

It was an odd question to his mind. Before, he had been so fixated on remembering Senna and reuniting with her. The emotional engagement he had with his childhood friend among his other classmates was still poignant in his fore-thoughts. He wondered if him reassuring Orihime in any way had done something to make his awry friend ask him such a thing.

"We've been through a lot together. She's a great friend; someone I don't deserve," He confessed.

"Do you, like-like her?"

"Wha-? Where's this coming from?" Ichigo questioned, shifting his head to look over at her.

"I...I know it was...strange and...weird what was going on back when we first met but," Senna fiddled, her eyes darting around while occasionally looking at his. "But. I want to let you know that I...do like you a lot, Ichigo. Like, more than friends."

"Oh." Ichigo blinked, comprehending the magnitude a bit more.

"I'm sorry, it's really stupid to say out loud-"

"No, it's fine," Ichigo smiled, reaching over and brushing her bangs aside so he could see her eyes a bit better. "I just...never had thought about things like that before. At least, not seriously."

"Well, you should get serious, dummy!" She pouted, cuffing his head and making him laugh.

"Seriously," He continued, his face becoming a bit more stoic. "I've just...been getting a lot on my mind. Can we talk about this a bit later? I just don't know how to process this kind of thing, what with all the Hell crap going on."

"Got it," She teased with a peck to his cheek. "I'll keep reminding you I'm here in the meantime."

"Right-right," He drawled out, getting into a comfortable position on his bed. He felt Senna draw close to him, making him shift a bit until her arms wrapped around his middle from behind. Holding onto her hand, he eventually drifted asleep as they slept in bed. His mind drifted into darkness and swirled into a new state of unconsciousness.

* * *

"As much fun I found a woman can be in a fight; this pain is really pissing me off!" Kuzuri protested, his body pinned to a wall in a dark chamber by spikes in his hands, feet, legs and shoulders. Additionally he felt his Hell borne body restrained by chains that spiraled up from his torso where a singular, blood rusty link was segmented into his flesh. It had been sometime since he had failed and the pale faced, white haired Hanta grimaced with anger and humiliation.

Being a servant to his lord, Ryoken Junta, has always came with its benefits.

Being stuck as a lowly Arrancar, bleeding to death on Hueco Mundo didn't seem like a better alternative. The ceremony through becoming a Hanta for an Alpha Demon was a eternal contract. If they signed on, they'd become bound to them instead of the watcher of Hell -the Judge, as they called him- and his giant guards, the Kushanada, would leave them be whenever they moved or died in the physical realm and returned back to their infernal world. They'd remain this way in an eternal limbo of death, servitude and pain until the Alpha Demon didn't find them worthy or see them as a liability, returning them back to Hell's de facto overseer. The power a Sinner gained as a Hanta had numerous factors, with the lowliest gaining strength that is multiple times than they had in life, depending on circumstances.

Kuzuri was just a low class Arrancar that happened to be outside of Aizen's rule and his domain to be unlucky enough to be trapped under the sand and near death from hungry Hollows. An Alpha Demon, Ryoken Junta, happen to be around looking for willing slaves to his rule when he noticed his plight. Not a single hollow was alive after three seconds past from his battle, Ryoken asked him to join him and become his Hanta. Being an opportunist by nature and near death, Kuzuri took his offer without hesitation.

Kuzuri has rarely has failed but that also has the expectation that you wouldn't. Because this contract has been handed out to Kuzuri, it might've been handed out by all Alpha Demons and to their Hantas. If not now, then soon, with time when the hiearchy of demonic kin know what Ryoken is plotting...

 _"And another one might take my place because of my recent…failure,"_ Kuzuri thought morbidly. His long inevitable judgment day was coming for a long time, only delayed by shedding his hollow mask and becoming a servant of the Demon Lord.

Suddenly the air grew constricted and cold. Kuzuri could barely breathe, and he knew that his master has arrived.

"Kuzuri? Kuzuri, why are you here?" The cold dark voice sounded in the dark, every breath causing a pendulum to constrict the chains just inch by inch.

"M-Master…I have failed you," Kuzuri confessed, knowing it would be better to be honest with a being who knew your every step. Unfortunately that still didn't make his master pleased with him. Ryoken Junta was one of the most revered and powerful Alpha Demons. He was not one to displease or take lightly.

" _ **So you have. Tell me why, Kuzuri,**_ " he commanded, Kuzuri feeling a chain wrapping even tighter around his neck. Kuzuri decided to play as safe as possible and tell him what he wanted to know. The pain of the spikes tearing into his flesh combined by his own soul's chains twining his body made him fear what punishment would be in store for him.

"Yes…m-my lord. I was c-careless in underestimating the target. I f-fooled around with him for too l-long. He was skilled for a human with no Soul Reaper powers-

" _ **Ichigo Kurosaki has regained his powers, fool!**_ " He roared out with rage and anger, shaking the very foundations of the room, the chains vibrating from his wrath.

"F-Forgive me…my l-lord. There was another who was responsible for my f-failure," He began. The quivering of the chains lessened slightly, and the room stopped shaking.

" _ **Tell me,**_ " he commanded yet again, the chain around his neck tightened, coaxing him to do it quick.

"This girl…she was something else. Captain class or more I don't know, she didn't wear the garbs of them but she definitely fought like the-."

" _ **Who?!**_ " Ryoken interrupted, obviously not interested in details.

"She's one of the Soul Hunters! I think she was a Seer, but I don't know her name! She wore a yellow ribbon...around violet hair...and has hazel colored eyes. She seemed to have clashed with our kind before!" he began musing to himself.

" _ **A Soul Hunter? That meddlesome group of interloping mortals. Well...I guess it couldn't be helped if someone of that caliber destroyed you...this time...**_ " Ryoken spoke in a smooth, controlled manner. Without even showing himself to Kuzuri, with a flick of his finger, the chains fell loose around Kuzuri to the floor.

"I…will not disappoint you…Master Ryoken," Kuzuri said bowing low the cold floor before disappearing out of it.

" ** _No…you won't,_** " the voice echoed off of the walls, and lights from dim lit torches faded as the Master loved the dark and only lit it for visitors or his lesser subordinates.

* * *

Location: Kurosaki Household, Ichigo's room

 _When Ichigo slept that night, his visions were a lot less disturbing. He dreamt of the time Rukia and them were having lunch on a picnic with Tatski, Orihime, Chad, and the others. They were laughing and having a good time, and suddenly someone else came joining them in the picnic: Senna. She was dressed in her simple school uniform from whatever school she was attending and was skipping happily towards them before tackling Ichigo. Although it was a bit embarrassing for her to just tackle him and her be on top, Ichigo kind of liked it._

 _As they leaned in to kiss however, something else happened. Aizen was there, over them, looming with that despicable smile, clad in his white garments, contradictory of his black heart. Suddenly Senna's eyes went wide, and she gasped, coughing up blood. Then he noticed, Senna was lying atop him, bleeding, his friends charged at him, outraged by this villain's actions._

 _Ichigo yelled to stop him, holding Senna and trying to tell them to stop before it was too late. Chad powered up and tried striking him with Diablo's Left Arm, but only managed to get both arms severed as Aizen blurred past him and stabbed through his chest. His body was still falling apart, gushing blood running from his dismembered limbs, his form still falling when Aizen casually stepped forward to deal another death blow to two of his other classmates, severing Tatsuki's and Keigo's heads from their bodies. Rukia tried to release her Zanpakuto but her sword was shattered against Aizen's finger and her torso cut open._

 _Ichigo was still trying to register all of it, yelling for it to stop, swearing at Aizen with ever word he knew was foul. Aizen just smiled that evil smile and continued to cut down his friends one at a time. Uryu then appeared, firing off arrows at a blinding rate that even Ichigo had a hard time seeing how many landed on Aizen's body. But then his body wasn't there and a daze Uryu was stabbed through the forehead from behind. Ichigo could feel Senna try to speak his name and as Ichigo struggled to get her off, he noticed her hands were cut, stopping the blade from killing her._

" _I-Ichigo…I…rather," she began Ichigo begged her not to continue._

" _NO! Not this again! Not again!" He yelled to stop the nightmare._

" _I'd rather give my life before I see you die!" She screamed out her last breath, before her eyes went dead and still._

 _Aizen then turned to him turning his sword upside down before saying, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." Suddenly the entire visage turned into a burning hellfire, the Hanta licking his lips as he brought out his hideous sword and was standing next to Aizen_

 _The Hanta pointed at him with a hungry determination, "I'm here for your soul, Ichigo Kurosaki!"_

 _Aizen then waved a hand after righting his Zanpakuto, "This is your reality, Ichigo. You're living in nothing more than an Illusion of my crafting. I have already won, Ichigo."_

 _Ichigo then exploded with rage, feeling pain ripping him apart from all sides, and the hungry howl echoing his own lips indicated something else._

" _WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ICHIGO'S SOUL IS MIIIIIIINNNNNEEE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The hollow laughed maniacally, and everything became black._

"NOOOOOOOO! Augh! Augh!" He woke covered in sweat and shaking, Senna woken up in his arms and began shaking him to calm down.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, calm down! I'm here!" She raised he voice and began combing her hand through his hair and rubbing his forehead, slick with sweat. Ichigo didn't know either but tears were dripping down his face either.

"Hey…Ichigo. What happened? This was worse than last time," Senna began to say and then his door was pushed open followed by Ichigo's two worried looking sisters.

"What happened? Is Ichigo alright?" Yuzu asked with Karin looking very worried as well.

Ichigo was still inhaling and exhaling raggedy, shaky breaths, still very shocked at what he saw.

" _Why? Why can't they stop? Why are they getting worse?_ " He asked himself.

"Yuzu get me some cold water and a wash rag. Senna step back," Karin said, without hesitation. Senna hesitantly moved back so Karin could get close to Ichigo and then looked directly into his eyes.

She raised four fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up, Ichigo? How many?" She asked as if she handled this kind of thing before.

" _Her calmness in the face of trauma is…remarkable_ ," Senna awed as Karin was talking her brother back to sanity.

"Can't stop it…can't, I can't-" Ichigo began to say before being interrupted.

"ICHIGO! Tell me how many fingers I'm holding up!" She ordered, not laying a hand on him, but those words tore into his consciousness and brought him back to reality.

"F-Four! There's four…Karin," he said after heaving his breaths in slower and more calmed rates.

"What happened, Ichigo? What did you see?" Karin asked calmly but sternly.

"P-Picnic…friends…at the tree outside of school…" Ichigo began.

"And then?" Karin continued.

"Senna came…tackled me, and was on top of me…," Ichigo continued, still shivering. Senna couldn't help but blush a little at hearing him dream about her.

"What happened next?" Karin continued.

"S-She…," Ichigo paused not wanting to really continue.

"What happened, Ichigo?" Karin asked sternly.

"She…was stabbed by…Aizen! Augh!" He began to whimper a bit and cry as he continued, "Augh…he…killed Chad…Orihime…Tatsuki…Keigo…Uryu, everyone! He killed them all! And…augh…that _thing_ was there next to him…augh…when he released his…Z-Zanpakuto…everything burned…so much burning! And I was…turned into…a Hollow! Augh…augh…" Karin hugs her brother tightly a bit, and is joined by Yuzu who pats his head and hugs him, Senna just sat there wrenching her hands, not knowing what to do. For the first time since arriving, she didn't have the answers to cure Ichigo's cries.

" _I'm sorry...Ichigo..._ "

* * *

 **A/N** : And the editing is finished. Again, please let me know how this is going in comparison to the original in the Reviews, as always ^^


	6. A Difference In Power

**"Stand up, be strong. In times when you feel the most peril you should heed these words most of all. Even in the face of certain death your courage can shape the outcome of your fate. Remember this and perhaps you may indeed survive; live to fight another day."**

 **C**

 **H**

 **A**

 **P**

 **T**

 **E**

 **R**

 **SIX**

 **A Difference In Power**

* * *

Ichigo was feeling very out of it ever since his nightmarish awakening. He ate his breakfast slowly, responded to his family with halfhearted attempts, and his eyes were looking blank.

 _"Ichigo, what happened to make you see this?"_ Senna asked herself, now clothed in a white T-shirt and ripped jeans, with black sneakers. The only thing that was managing to keep Ichigo sane was the fact Senna was holding his hand, or would hug him every now and then. Her sisters kept on trying to cheer him up but nothing seemed to work. After what seemed like hours -but only minutes since what happened- the sisters called the school letting them know that he wasn't coming in because he was sick.

Karin decided to take a walk for something at the drug store; until she heard a squeak and a 'oomph' as she stepped on the entry way floor. When she looked down, she saw Kon, his face being smashed by her foot. Unfortunately for Karin, his one exposed eye was drawn to her split legs. The sentient plush doll's plastic nose bled slightly, causing the girl to angrily stare at him. The raven haired sister grabbed him by the head, peeling him out of the entry way and threw it at Ichigo's face from the distance separating them.

"Here's your perverted doll, Ichigo!" She yelled, a little infuriated by being peeped at.

Incidentally, Kon's face pressed into Ichigo's in a mock kiss.

Ichigo's eyes went wide with confusion. Then disgust. Then with anger.

"PLAH! K-KON! WHY YOU-!" He gagged, shouting at the Mod Soul as he peeled him off his face.

"Hey! Why are you mad at me?! Your sister threw **me** at _you_!" Kon argued.

Senna couldn't help herself but to burst out laughing, so humored from the squabble, it drew both of their attention to her.

"Y-You guys…kehehe…are so…tehehehe…funny! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ichigo couldn't help but start to laugh along with her, leaving Kon just infuriated.

"So, my abuse is your source of entertainment? Well excuse me for not taking the hint!" Kon then leaped off Ichigo's hand and squeaked his way up the stairs to Ichigo's room. "I'm taking ownership of your room, Ichigo! If you get attacked by a Demon, see if I care!"

Ichigo began to crack a slight smile when he felt Senna hug him tightly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she sternly said, yet she said it with a smile.

Ichigo hugged her back, holding her flush against him. Suddenly the doorbell rang, three times, four times, five times…

"Fine! I'm coming!" Ichigo shouted, grumbling that he had to leave from Senna's comforting embrace. He hobbled over, still dressed in his wrinkled school clothes from the day before.

Orihime stood there with a basket full of bread, "HELLO ICHIGO! I got you something!" Ichigo suddenly twitched, mouth open with surprise, kind of shocked.

 _"Orihime works at the bakery but I didn't know that she could give THIS much,_ ' Ichigo marveled inwardly at the amount of bread.

"O-Orihime. That's a…lot of bread. Come in and sit down for a sec," He said, his eyes bulging at the amount of bread she had in her basket. When she came in, her cheery disposition was halted when she noticed Senna sitting there in clothes that were remarkably different from her earlier garb and they looked a lot like Rukia's back then.

"Oh, I forgot you were watching him since last night," She apologized, her smile renewed despite the awkwardness of her forgetful nature. Either that, or she came in wanting to forget that Senna had volunteered to spend the night with Ichigo in his own house. The Soul Hunter, nor the Substitute Soul Reaper, could tell either way.

Ichigo then scratched his head, a little embarrassed by the change of mood of his usually cheerful friend.

"Right, yeah, you didn't get to properly meet each other last time," He cleared his throat, gesturing to the girl with a red ribbon in her frayed, lavender ponytail. "This is Senna! She was here a couple years ago, I don't think you'd remember-"

"OH! SO YOU ARE REAL!" Orihime shouted excitedly, her eyes widening with recollection and her mouth agape. This revelation in her head instantly dragged her out of her glum boat she was sailing and magnetically attracted her beaming visage up to Senna's face. "I was wondering where I've seen you before! My name is Orihime Inoue, but you can just call me Orihime; obviously, haha!"

Senna stuttered, a little aghast by her attitude, "Y-Yes…I'm Senna. Nice to meet you, properly," She said reaching out a hand to her which was shaken very ecstatically.

"Nice to meet you too!" She said, with enthusiasm. Ichigo was puzzled by her earlier reaction though, scratching his head with one hand while holding the basket with the other hand. " _Why would she be like that? She loves to meet new people. I wonder…,"_ Ichigo began to ponder as the two talked, decided to leave the two alone to chat while he sorted through the bread in the kitchen.

' _She didn't even asked what I was wearing,_ ' Ichigo just suddenly realized, now knowing there was something off with her now.

' _I'll ask her later. That's the least I should do,_ ' Ichigo knew, holding her out after all they been through, he needed to know how she was doing.

* * *

"Really? I always liked rice the other way. Are you sure?" Senna asked Orihime, as they were now in appropriate attire, walking in the park. Orihime was in her usual dress beige shirt with a orange skirt, with Senna wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt with tennis shoes, while Ichigo wore white T-shirt with his collar up and dark green pants. While he concealed his Substitute badge in his back pocket, Senna had concealed her powers in a mysterious way unbeknownst to him.

 _"They seem to be bonding nicely,"_ Ichigo thought to himself. Ever since they left the house, Ichigo thought something bad would happen, but so far he had been proven otherwise.

 _"Maybe I was just worried over nothing,"_ Ichigo thought with a shrug. They entered the park on the way to the shrine, a place of reverence of ancestors from times old. Senna insisted on them finding this place so she could tell him something. After Orihime insisted on tagging along, Senna complied and now they're at the pagoda.

Senna then turned around and said to Ichigo, "Ichigo, I'd like you to go back over the basics of Reishi control here. Orihime and I will just

Ichigo suddenly moaned, "Come on, Senna. It's a nice day out! I'd rather not mess up my time off from school doing just-"

"Ichigo. You need to get back up to snuff. If you fight half cocked without remembering how to fight, you're going to be useless when a truly dangerous enemy shows up, right?" She insisted with a waving finger, backed up with a stern glare and lowered voice.

Ichigo tried to argue but held his tongue. He knew Senna had a point. If he didn't practice now, his enemies would be at a clear advantage over him. He had remembered his fights in Hueco Mundo in how he barely won some fights by the skin of his teeth, only for him to be unprepared for the next fighter being more cruel and powerful than the last. By the time he faced against Ulquiorra, he was completely unprepared for the conflict that barred his way from saving his friend all those years ago.

He didn't want to repeat history, so he resigned and nodded to her.

Ichigo had to try. "Alright. I'll practice here."

Senna smiled with appreciation and winked at him, "Don't worry. You're not going to be hounded while you're up and about by the others. They're going to simply patrol Karakura and wait for any suspicious activity to emerge. You'll be called, or I'll be alerted, the moment something happens. Alright?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Okay, whatever," before settling into a meditative stance and closed his eyes, entering his Inner World.

 _"That'll keep him occupied for awhile,"_ Senna thought to herself as she and Orihime walked around the town shrine.

"So, are you and Ichigo really...together? I mean, um," Orihime began to ask but hesitated, wringing her fingers nervously.

Senna looked at Orihime curiously, "Are Ichigo and I what?"

Orihime then looked at her with big eyes, "Are you and Ichigo _seeing_ each other?"

Senna then blushed, becoming bashful all of a sudden, "Well…uh, me and Ichigo…you see, um, we're kind of sorta…yeah."

Orihime then nodded solemnly, "I see. That makes sense then, why he felt hurt since that day."

Senna then perked up with interest and asked, "He…felt hurt when?"

Orihime waved her hands dismissively if not at all eccentrically, "No, no, no! I shouldn't be talking to you about this. You should ask Ichigo if you want to really."

Senna furrowed her brows before nodding, "Alright, Orihime. I'll respect your privacy."

Orihime bows apologetically before going silent again. Senna's morose thoughts were broken when she caught sight of the faint glistening aura of Ichigo's Reiatsu flowing around his body, from the tips of his hair to his clenched fingers and folded legs. She felt satisfied that he was becoming attuned to his abilities more quickly than she thought. Feeling comforted by his progress, she and Orihime continued to talk animatedly about more of the past she had missed of her own.

Senna and Orihime got to talk about all the events in detail that had happened within the last two years, some specific while others were obscure. Eventually they were content on just watching Ichigo, maintaining his Jinzen stance. Despite a few muscular contractions, he had a calm and stoic expression that almost resembled sleep had his Reishi not been visible to the pair. Orihime and Senna couldn't help but marvel in awe at the peaceful practice for what surely could've been a arduous spiritual task.

Finally, Ichigo's body stopped glowing and his eyes looked to them expectantly with a passive smile, "Am I done practicing for now?"

"Are you kidding? You've just been doing this for a few hours. We were just going to let you know that Orihime wanted to show me her place," Senna teased with a flirtatious wink and raspberry. "You can't slack off just because you done a little bit."

"Oh come on! I could've just stayed home for this-!"

"But then you wouldn't have gotten the fresh air. And besides, isn't it easier to clear your mind at this place?"

"I guess," He shifted with slight acknowledgement. The shrine was, indeed, a safe place and didn't seem to have any disturbing presences lingering nearby. Not even Pluses wandered about. Sighing, he shrugged with resignation and resumed his stance again. "Fine, you win. I'll keep at it."

She smiled then waving her hand, "Its fine, I'm going to visit the bakery by Orihime's work before we go to her place. Her bread we ate earlier was HEAVENLY! Bye-bye, Ichigo!" She then gave him a quick hug, pecked him on the cheek and trotted off with Orihime; the latter of whom apologetically smiled and waved him off.

Ichigo grunted, "Great, now I can't feel bad about it now. Back to training!"

* * *

"Wow! Nice place, Orihime!" Senna exclaimed, looking around the decent sized apartment, everything much tidier and cleaner than Ichigo's house.

Orihime brightened up at the compliment, "Thank you! I haven't had too many visitors come over but its best to keep prepared. I had several visits by Chad, Uryuu, and even Ichigo a couple times. But not recently though," she thought sadly.

Senna then clapped with a smile on her face, "Well, I'm here! And I say let's do something fun just us girls!"

Orihime then blinked widely before asking, "Here? Right now?"

Senna shrugged with a smile, "Of course! Have you ever watched TV in here? I know a great movie they play on it all the time!"

Orihime directed her to the TV and Senna began tinkering with the set until it changed to the station she knew of.

Hours later, and Senna realized just how quickly time passed by.

Orihime had fallen asleep on Senna's shoulder, the latter was still enjoying the romance in the end of the movie. As the credits rolled, she smiled at Orihime's sleeping form, patting her head and nudged her frame gently. Even as she shook her a bit rougher, she realized just how dead to the world she was.

"You must really like him, Orihime," She said with a sad smile, having figured out that Orihime has been in love with Ichigo, for a long time now. It would only take a timid person like her and an ignorant guy like Ichigo to not notice each other.

" _You really are a dolt, Ichigo," S_ he thought herself.

Suddenly, she heard movement on the windowsill, reflexively turning to look in its direction. There stood a silver haired man bending in, dressed in a white suit with a white rose on his left torso. He had an indifferent look on his face, patient but predatory. His face had sharp, angular features and handsome complexion. Despite the white hair, rose, and suit, he wore a pair of black gloves, boots, and a opera mask covering his eyes. But his presence was all the same: _Predatory_.

He then said, "By all means, don't stop your fun on my account."

Senna knew who it was, and immediately shook Orihime off, waking her with a start, and withdrew her Kido gun and fired.

The man simply dodged it, allowing it to shatter the wall beside him, and said aloud, "So that's the Kido Gun Kuzuri spoke of. How quaint," He then disappeared, materializing in front of her to punch her through the living room and into the kitchen, breaking and scattering utensils everywhere. "But useless."

Orihime gaped at the horrid man who just clocked her friend into her kitchen. Before she had a chance to chant out for Soten Kisshun, she felt a hand around her throat, picking her up in a vice grip, asking in a menacing voice, "Where is Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Orihime was gasping for air and can barely say, "W-Why…d-do you w-want…I-I-Ichigo?"

"The reason is not your concern. Tell me and I will allow you both to live," He spoke in a deadpanned tone.

What he didn't expect was Senna blurring foot to his face, kicking him right out the window with a mighty crash of glass and wooden frame.

She had her Zanpakuto in hand and she said as she unsheathed it, "Orihime! Stay here! He's too dangerous for you to get involved!"

She then rushed out the window via Shunpo, leaving a quivering and terrified Orihime. Regaining her will, she scrambled to her feet to run after the female Soul Hunter, looking outside the hole that was her wall to see the scene below, just outside of her apartment in the street. A sword in hand, the man she kicked on top of a car, bending himself off of it and picking glass off of his clothes.

"Impressive, Soul Hunter Senna. I would expect nothing less of one of their top operatives," He complimented, again in a neutral monotone.

Senna just spat, "I don't need your compliments, Hanta!"

The Hanta wasn't fazed. Instead, he asked a question, "So you know why I am here?"

Senna shouted at him, an orange Reiatsu erupted from her body and sent a spiraling gust of howling wind that rocked the foundation of the complex, scraping the street and sending debris scattering all around her, "YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM, MONSTER!"

The Hanta displayed no emotion despite her display of power. Contradictory to that of the previous one she slew, he spoke only with a slightly annoyed edge to his neutral voice. "I don't care for anyone else's desires. Only that of my master, Lord Ryoken. He wants Ichigo Kurosaki's soul, which Kuzuri has failed to acquire."

He then brandished a normal sized katana, bearing a white hilt and a crystal pommel, the back of the blade lined in a red hue. He too became embroiled in a thick aura, this of a rouge hue, like a burning rose of Reiatsu that bubbled and snapped around him. Behind his opera mask, a pair of red eyes glistened with a subtle intensity, glowing in sync with his raised spirit energy.

Senna gritted her teeth and cried out. "Get ready to die, Hanta!"

The Hanta simply scoffed, bellowing out in readied challenge. "Come, Soul Hunter!"

* * *

Ichigo had finally nailed down the technique an hour or so ago, just relaxing and looking up at the coming sunset, with nostalgia. He remembered the time he and Senna spent around the Carnival downtown. It was one of the most peaceful and enjoyable experiences he ever had, though he never told anyone that, not even his family or friends.

Ichigo was about to shut his eyes for a nap when he felt Senna's Spiritual Pressure skyrocket near Orihime's place.

"NO!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing his backpack and reaching his Zanpakuto, his dark cloak, chains, and hood resumed its place back on his body as he Flash Stepped as fast as he could to where Senna was.

* * *

Senna shimmered in front of her enemy, swinging hard and fast to the Hanta's neck, blocked easily by his own Zanpakuto with a single arm akin to her own style. Senna bore her strength into it, her raw power pushing him back and his feet digging into the concrete street, making him exert to keep himself from being flung backwards.

"You're strong, I'll give you that much. However," He then raised a fist, an orb of Hellfire forming around it before he discharged while speaking. "Does physical strength really matter?"

Senna barely had time to raise her hand and catch the infernal orb, dissipating it with practiced efficiency; the effort causing herself to falter in her strength against him. This gave time to kick up at her gut before wrenching the blade from the lock they had and delivering a successful follow-up spin kick to her side, careening her across the street.

Senna rasped for air, the wind pushed out of her lungs. Hunched over, she held her side and stumbled back upright, her weapon held readily for another engagement. The Hanta scoffed, impressed she still had it in her to keep resisting.

"You're definitely tougher than I imagined," He said with grudging respect.

Senna grunted, feeling stupid and careless for getting hit so easily. Reaffirming her grip on the Zanpakuto, she whipped out her Kido Gun, executing Shunpo to appear near the Hanta, chanting, " **Byakurai**!" The shot came out in a violent lightning strike, from which the Hanta had to counter with two more spheres of Hellish energy. The following collision caused an explosion, creating a deafening shockwave that city block, shattering glass and sending waste to other forms of refuse hurtling in haphazard directions.

"Hmmm, interesting," The Hanta mused, noticing the Kido Gun also enhanced the Kido itself. However, he failed to notice the Zanpakuto reaching through the smoke, cutting him at his shoulder.

Hissing, he batted away the Zanpakuto and struck at her with more swift strokes, all being equally countered. " _She's fast. This might have to be taken up a notch,"_ He thought to himself, a little perturbed that he had to use more power against an opponent as reckless as her.

Senna gritted her teeth, suddenly reverting her speed to sudden strength, striking one of the Hanta's sword thrusts. Knocking the offending weapon away gave her clear an opening for an opening for her brandished Kido Gun, " **Sokatsui**!" Following her chant, she shot a giant azure fireball that enveloped the Hanta, tearing across the street and decimating anything in its path. For a moment, Senna grinned triumphantly at her ability to land a strike at his body.

 _"Divide and Conquer, Fuego Rojo!"_

Senna felt her pistol grabbed with a sudden vice grip, wrenching it from her free hand, streak of grey slashing her face as her reflexes allowed her to backpedal, saving her neck from its near lethal attack.

"That was impressive," The Hanta chuckled, his coat barely scratched and his sword now transformed into a broadsword with six red pulsing spheres in blade's flat, bulging out from either angle.

Senna gaped, "Wh-When did you?-"

"The moment you fired your Kido. Had I not, that could have done some damage to me. Alas, you're making this harder than it needs to be," He sighed, now raised his sword so its edges were facing either flank, allowing her to see the spheres that were embedded in the weapon.

Senna gritted her teeth with frustration, "It makes sense they'd send a stronger Hanta than the last one I took down. Regardless, I won't allow you to win this fight, abomination!""

The Hanta scoffed at hearing this, "You mean Kuzuri? He's being punished, as of now, so I was debriefed about you so I can finish what he started. Kuzuri hasn't had a challenge in centuries, so I don't blame him for underestimating someone like you. Not all Soul Hunters prove to be as difficult to our kind. In fact, Kuzuri is stronger than I am."

Senna gasped, unable to believe what he said.

"W-What did you say? Are you telling me, he was holding back?" Senna inquired with fear in her voice, her eyes twitching with bewilderment. She knew the man she had slain was strong but nothing she couldn't handle. She didn't even need to release her Zanpakuto; something this man was starting to encourage to do, regardless of the residential area she was fighting in.

"Not precisely. You see, depending on the mission on hand, we're granted a limiter of power that our bodies can handle in the Living World. This meant he couldn't fight you with all of the strength he possesses from Hell. However, I have been given permission to fully express any means necessary now that you are here. I am Ryoken's Hanta, Tensei Rosa. If you want to ask me what I'm capable of, let me put into terms you can understand."

Senna held up her sword and gun in a ready stance as he spoke, "In this body, I am on par with the highest class of Soul Reaper Captain or Espada that Aizen had created.

Senna's eyes widened, "N-No way!"

The Hanta simply sighed, "That's right. Kuzuri's status is of an upper echelon of Hanta. However, because I am lower rank than he, I was less restricted and able to unlock my powers easier. I'm more responsible with my powers, not like it matters considering you're going to die. I'm bringing Ichigo Kurosaki back with me after I make sure you breathe your last."

Senna roared in response, employing Shunpo to materialize behind him, "Like HELL!"

Firing her Kido gun in tandem with a horizontal sword slash. A mighty crash resounded throughout the neighborhood, cracking and scattering nearby glass.

Senna was heaving her breaths, smiling slightly feeling as she felt she landed a few strikes. When the dust settled, she gaped and his sword was there blocking everything she threw at him, leaving him undamaged.

" **Discharge** ," He commanded, one of the spheres rotating with a high pitch whine and firing out against her sword like a high velocity cannon ball. Equaling the force as she used, it threw her across the street, her heels leaving the street and scraping its surface by millimeters. She grimaced, jamming her gun at it from the side with the bayonet-affixed barrel, shooting at it to send it soaring into a vehicle nearby with an explosive crunch.

"That all you got?" Senna yelled, panting from the exertion as she landed back on her feet far away from him.

Tensei scoffed, revealing one empty hole in his broad sword. "Please, be patient. Death is an art after all, and I want to make it last awhile."

Tensei's Reiatsu then elevated itself higher and higher, Senna felt her jaws rattle from the power that Tensei's cool confidence gave him, contrasting drastically from Kuzuri's wild bloodlust that she had felt.

Shaking her head, Senna scoffed before barking back. "My death is far from being near, Hanta Tensei!"

Tensei remarked, "Don't let your guard down," His words suddenly followed with the sphere that was wedged into the crumpled car, launched itself at her again, her sword barely parrying it, but not until it began rotating violently.

" **Discharge** ," He muttered, sending another one to join the fray. In a streak of crimson it spun violently at Senna during its approach. Barely with time to react, she fired her Kido Gun twice to halt its propelling velocity, her feet now skidding across the ground from the rebounding force.

"Release your Zanpakuto, Seer. Its the only way for your ensured survival in this fight," Tensei calmly beckoned, urging her to do so, as Senna was now pressed by both spheres, grinding against the blade of her gun and her sword.

"NO! I won't do as you wish!" She shrieked back, pushing once more against the pair of spheres away with a mighty heave. They both were sent flying backwards to crash against the earth of the street, earning some laboring breath from the exertion.

"Your stubborn nature will be your downfall, Soul Hunter Senna," He chided, launching himself at her with lightning speed at her; he slashed his weapon against hers, seeing her barely able to repel his assault.

"You've gotten slower," He noted audibly. Pushing against her guard, the two spheres she discarded lifted up into the air again, ready to fire at her once again. Just as they launched themselves at her, she aimed her Zanpakuto behind her when they were both in range and armed her Zanpakuto with a spiraling vortex around her sword.

" **Autumn Slash**! **Sokatsui**!" She shouted simultaneously, firing at both him and the two spheres launched at her. The effort countered the attacks and threw the Hanta back away a few meters back.

Senna breathing heavily from fatigue catching up with her, glancing at both the orbs in the ground then back at the now rattled Hanta.

"You're stubborn," Tensei sneered, righting himself again.

"So are you! What does your master want Ichigo for? What's your plan?" She demanded in loudly, sweat running down her face and chin, mingling with the drops of blood that stung her wound, plopping onto the ground.

The Hanta didn't even twitch, rather raising his Zanpakuto to her again, "Your knowledge of our mission's specifics is against my lord's orders. I won't allow you to live, considering you'll only hinder his plans." The spheres then go past Senna hovering on either side of his Zanpakuto before he spoke his kill phrase.

" **Discharge** ," A third sphere then launched at Senna along with the two others, moving at mind-blowing speeds toward Senna.

" _There's no way I can stop three like this. Gotta do something_ ," She thought quickly raising her gun to fire.

Suddenly, a black visage covered her shot, standing in front of her. Her eyes widened with shock, not even seeing this coming her finger a hair from pulling the trigger.

The dark cloaked figure then smiled at her saying, "Hey, Senna. What are you doing pointing that thing at me?"

Senna gasped with shock and with relief as she uttered, "I-Ichigo?"

* * *

Ichigo smiled, "Hey, what are you gawking at me for?" Senna's hand was trembling on the gun, feeling like she failed him in protecting him. The gun then fell out of her hand, clanking to the ground and she ran up and hugged him, her Zanpakuto still in hand. Ichigo felt a little confused but then smiled, putting an arm around her comfortably, one hand on his sword hilt behind him still sheathed.

"Impressive, Ichigo Kurosaki," Tensei said, walking closer his eyes observing with predatory analysis. The spheres that were bolting toward Senna were stopped by Ichigo's sheathed Zanpakuto, with little effort. The resulting impact ricocheted the orbs and bolted into opposite directions; one into a drug store, another hit the apartment near Orihime's causing her to duck, and another demolished a secondary car.

Ichigo let go of Senna cupping her chin, leaning his forehead against hers, "I'll be right back, okay? You just stay back and don't butt in okay?"

Senna smiled faintly back, "Now you're the one telling _me_ not to be reckless, hm? Be careful, he's not like the other one."

Ichigo nodded, smiling wryly and winking back at her. "Back in a sec. This will be real quick."

The Substitute Soul Reaper turned around, right hand on his Zanpakuto hilt, his sleeveless Shikhakusho rustling in the wind blowing down the ruined city block, smoke sifting through the atmosphere and water drenching parts of the smashed concrete to cracked asphalt. Staring at Tensei with cold hatred, he sized him up and calculation how much strength he needed to beat this Hanta.

Tensei, in response, summoned the spheres back to the spherical slots in his his Zanpakuto before pointing a fist, enveloped with an aura of Hellfire, "Let's see how fast you are." He then discharged the infernal shot, rushing at him with mind-blowing speed, rushing at Ichigo's still confident form as his spell streaked towards his front. The Soul Reaper appeared to be standing still, except that his hand was outstretched and stopping the dark spell easily with his bare hand, a shockwave sounding from the impact against his palm but left no marring sign.

The Hanta leaped forward, intent on following up with his attack with a vertical stroke of his Zanpakuto down at him from his left flank. Ichigo moved on his heel deftly, using his left hand that stopped the Hellfire a moment before, palm-striking the sword coming at him sending the blade away, crashing against the ground next to him. Tensei was startled by his precision and reaction speed, not even drawing his Zanpakuto. The Hanta felt Ichigo's foot kick his jaw, a shockwave shook the ground around them from the force, sending Tensei spiraling down the street, head over heels till he was near an intersection where the complex stretch ended dozens of meters away, continuing to be hurtled past it, crashing through a car lot and behind it, finally halting a great kilometer away from where he once was fighting.

Tensei coughed up blood, spitting out teeth and swore his jaw was splintered in several places where he kicked.

"Incredible...strength!" Tensei remarked, struggling back to his feet and wiping the blood around his lip, his ruined mouth forming a mangled smile.

"Not bad, Ichigo Kurosaki! I can see why Lord Ryoken wants your soul so badly! Now prepare yourself; **Simultaneous Discharge!** " Tensei he cried out and fires off all six of the spheres, the rotating orbs screaming through the air towards their target like homing meteorites. During their rapid approach, Ichigo unshackled his sword, black chains flying in the wind from its hilt, using one hand to manifest a black coiling Reiatsu around it.

Ichigo then calmly said, "Getsuga Tensho," and he swung a huge arc of devastating onyx Reishi towards the spheres. The six balls clashed with a howling roar against the massive black wave of Reishi, a maelstrom of midnight and crimson hues circling around the street, tendrils of red and charcoal striking at the foundations of buildings and the streets nearby. Without warning, the Getsuga mass howled louder, swelling in size and then cracking the spheres, hurtling them back at Tensei, two of them striking him in the chest to make him lie prone on the ground while the others smashed in awry directions. Grimacing with stunning pain, Tensei could do little as the enormous Getsuga Tensho bore down on him.

The Hanta gasped just a moment before yelling as he felt his body roasted and torn to shreds, the giant arc devastating the street around and past him. It was only seconds afterwards that there was nothing left of his form, or his presence. The last two circular constructs crumbled into sparkling red dust, fluttering away into the wind as the rest of his existence faded into the horizon.

Ichigo shackled his sword back in chains before reattaching it back to over his shoulders, returning calmly to Senna, a small grin of relief clear on his face.

"I'm back! You miss me?" He asked.

Senna then struck him on the head with an over the head hammerfist.

"OW! What the heck, Senna?" Ichigo asked indignantly.

"Don't…scare me like that!" She said, with a smile, several tears running down her face.

Ichigo smiled as he pulled her into a hug, Orihime watching from a distance, feeling hurt inside.

" _Why…why do I feel like this?"_ Orihime asked herself silently, as she joined them as they all walked home to Ichigo's house. For now, they took the little peace that had been won to recover from this horrid attack.

* * *

 **A/N** : And done editing! As always, please let me know how the new edition is in the Review section below!


	7. Hell's Hunters

**"Murderers of innocents. Defilers of the pure. Prideful above all humility and gluttonously greedy among the poor. Each of these beings were sentenced to damnation for their crimes beyond salvation for the cycle of reincarnation. Among masses only those with the cruelest and most vicious of traits that appease the lords of darkness and blood are harnessed to do their bidding. These are the Hanta; _Hunters_ of Hell."**

 **CHAPTER**

 **7**

 **Hell's Hunters**

* * *

Ichigo, having to ditch his body in the park during his quick rescue of Senna, had to quickly make a detour and reacquire it before letting Senna guide him back home. The walk was relatively quiet, what with the sudden sense that a new enemy could drop in unannounced. Orihime had used the distraction to fix her home before catching up; her Soten Kesshun making quick work of the mess left behind from the battle.

When Ichigo arrived home, both girls beside him, he found he was expected. There, standing in the doorway, was Isshin Kurosaki. He had a stoic expression that was cagey, but his eyes told him that he was more than displeased. The realization that his recent fight could be felt by everybody made it clear his impression was less than discreet; even more than his reawakening at the school not long before that.

"Ichigo, you're home. I heard about the commotion over by Orihime's. We need to talk about certain _things_ you've neglected to tell us."

Ichigo felt an inward fear the fact his dad was being serious AND ordering him inside. He didn't look happy. Ichigo led the two girls in, who had equal confused looks like him, and found something strange awaiting them.

Kisuke was sitting sipping tea at a table. Shinji, standing next to him, was accompanied by the rest of the Visoreds lounging in the living room on sofa or by the walls. Uryu was standing next to Chad, being the first to see him trot in with Orihime and Senna. Unlike before, all eyes seemingly drawn to Ichigo expectantly.

"Uhhhh…hey…guys?" Ichigo said, waving his hand hesitantly at them, nervously sweating at the sudden wave of tension in the air.

Kisuke spoke after noisily slurping some tea, "AH! Ichigo! Nice for you to come home, safe and sound! Please come and take a seat over here," He casually spoke, patting a seat next to him.

Gaining a serious expression, the Strawberry questioned in his mind what was going on as he moved forward to take his seat.

"Kisuke. What's going on here?" Ichigo bluntly inquired, the girls still standing in the doorway with uncertainty.

Mr. Urahara asked back with an appropriately steeled visage, "I heard about what happened. How you regained your powers, and the foes you're facing."

Ichigo was silent, expecting as much since he was here now.

Seeing he had no rebuttal or denial, the hat adorned shopkeeper nodded and continued, "This is an enemy that you've never faced before. We have an entirely new playing field, something that usually is outside of Soul Society's jurisdiction. So I'm going to be frank with you, I'm a bit in the dark as to the nature of those who are denizens of Hell and its natural residents. All I do know is that a primordial being appears every time a Hollow, Soul Reaper or Human has committed terrible acts too horrific to be cleansed and reenter the reincarnation cycle. Apart from that, I've never been privy to any creatures let alone the jailed inmates of Hell, coming out and causing havoc. That being said, I must have Senna come forth now and tell us exactly what she knows so we can get a better grasp of what to expect."

Senna stiffened at first but then complied, knowing the stakes of what lied before them. Walking over to the table, she sat next to Ichigo, taking a breath before explaining herself.

"The organization is, as I told Ichigo, developed by former Soul Reapers and Spiritually gifted humans. Doing so, we take care of the many lesser known or more subtle threats of spiritual make throughout the world that Soul Society neglects or willfully ignores. More importantly, we combat the most active servants of Demons known as Hanta. They, along with malformed twisted denizens called Hell-Spawn, are twisted Sinners of their realm or experiments to make nearly immortal servants to accomplish the whims of their Demon Lords, more than usually Alpha Class Demons. We know that, more often than not, Demons approach those of twisted, desperate and lawless sort to give them contracts to become their infernal servants so the true holder of all Sinners doesn't torment them for eternity. Ordinarily, the Hanta do things that destabilize or cause trouble of unnatural sorts within the world without colliding with Soul Society; thus we have stepped in, defending those they attacked, targeted and possibly corrupt. They haven't been launching such blatant attacks on such spiritually active targets...until recently.

"I don't know who this Ryoken Junta that's sent two Hanta after Ichigo, but it seems he has a lot of clout in their hierarchy to send such strong beings into the Living World. Unfortunately, as a result, I've been informed that the other Alpha Demons have become more and more restless, and if this Ryoken invokes more aggressive tactics, I can't tell you exactly how many servants that they will send in competition -or sport- to go after Ichigo. As long as he's here, like a shining beacon for them to sense, they'll keep coming. As to why they want them, we can only guess for some reason they have been searching for unique souls with powers that had been augmented through some force or another. Like the Hogyoku for instance," She finished, nodding to Kisuke, his eyes widening slightly in shock from her understanding of it.

Ichigo, too, was also surprised. He hadn't once brought up the events of the titled ' _White War_ ' that happened with Aizen's faction two years ago. Given how shady her friend, Ryo was, did that mean her people had spied on them? He concealed these thoughts, though, at the moment and narrowed eyes toward Senna with worried intrigue at her. "So, you think they want my soul because it was changed by the Hogyoku? Its been so long since then, why take me now?"

Senna looked back at Ichigo saying, "You were in a powerless state. The temptation was probably too much for this Ryoken to wait and sent one of his goons after you. If I hadn't come when I did, you would've been dead. Plain and simple."

Ichigo was about to argue but was cut off by Kisuke, the hat and clogs toting man raising his hand, "You wouldn't happen to know who's your leader, do you Senna?"

Senna shook her head, "No one really knows him. He keeps his identity a secret, even to us Seers. Only the High Seers knows who he is and they call him the Overseer, and nothing else."

Ichigo chuckled at the name, "Pretty sure he likes to keep an eye on everything, doesn't he?"

Pondering over this information, Kisuke returned his attention to the Substitute, speaking to him in an advisory tone, "Ichigo, you need to train more with your Zanpakuto. If what Senna says is true, we may have a bigger fight than just single individuals and we have no idea how many they will send the next time."

Ichigo nodded, "I understand. I'll work harder with Zangetsu, and become even stronger."

Kisuke then pulled out a fan and smiled, "Great! Now we can have the cookout everyone's been waiting for!"

Ichigo suddenly twitched and gaped his mouth opened in unison with Senna. Ichigo's dad came up and laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder with a serious look, "I'll keep a lookout for anymore Hanta or other creeps they send at you. Make no mistake, your enemies are as restless as they are strong."

Ichigo nodded slightly, his eyes still wide as saucers from the fact everyone was waiting for a cookout of all things. " _Are Kisuke and my Dad really that insane?"_ He thought to himself as all of the Visoreds and his friends gathered in the backyard for the cookout, already in preparation with grills cooking, tables and chairs set up for everybody. Ichigo then thought angrily, " _I bet this was my Dad's idea to freak me out,"_ he grumbled to himself.

Senna grabbed Ichigo's hand with a smile and pulled him out of the living room out to the yard, urging him to sit on a chair, "You stay right there. I'm going to get you all the food you need. After what what you went through today, you deserve to some time off. NO buts about it," She insisted with a wave of her finger at him, skipping away over to the assortment of grills and picnic tables. Ichigo just slumped back onto the chair resigning himself and closing his eyes, feeling sleep call to him again.

* * *

All wasn't completely well, however. In the outskirts of Karakura Town was an assemblage of white cloaked figures, all touting similar features and uniforms to those who had come before them. Lean, frail to muscular and inhuman, these creatures of the netherworld were as eager to fulfill their tasks as they were to butcher the many ignorant bystanders that'd get in their way. The most unfortunate thing, however, is that they couldn't sense their target unlike the previously assigned beings.

Such thoughts didn't dwell with them, as they began to deliberate on the best course of infiltration into the spiritually enriched city.

"That town sure don't look like much. Are you sure that we need this many to take one guy down?" Asked one white garbed figure, his face pale and dark rings were around his eyes, making him look as if he hadn't seen daylight in forever.

The other turned around, his face glaring at him for questioning him, "Our Master doesn't want us to screw this up like the other two had. Now stay focused and wait for my lead. When we get close enough, we'll tear this town apart looking for him!"

The Hanta just snorted at what the self appointed 'leader' was saying, "Rosa was a tough guy. What makes you think we're anywhere near that good?"

"Because, Asar, we have strength in numbers and we have a backup plan, in case he's being guarded," Spoke up the _leader_ , as the other Hantas gathered behind him, flanked by dark monstrous creatures hiding in the shadows that exhaled sparks and ash, drooling copious amounts of ichor.

Asar smirked, flipping back his white hair while bearing a familiar sadistic grin, complemented by the approval in his voice, "My-My, Malice! You take the term **Overkill** to a whole new level, hehehe!"

Malice smiled darkly, as he agreed with Asar silently, knowing that his company of Hantas and _those_ creatures would serve him just nicely. Malice's white cloak flowed like fire and water, almost transparent at the rim of his collar, having one single serrated edged sword slung across his back by a black bandoleer hilt.

Malice, then ordered with a hoarse whisper, "Disperse," and all of his compatriots scattered, entering Karakura Town, disappearing in the wind to find their quarry independantly.

The Hanta then cackled as he reached his hand out and clenched it with a sickening series of snaps from his knuckles, each one unsettling the air around his appendage, "Your soul will belong to us, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

* * *

The moment Ichigo had drifted into unconsciousness, he felt himself immersed in a grand sky, sitting on top of a giant skyscraper that almost disappeared into space, the other skyscrapers below looking so small to his view. He glanced as he found himself sitting on the edge of the towering structure while a familiar hunched figure, draped in identical sleeveless Shikhakusho apparel leered at him, chain-wrapped sword in hand. He had hoped to see the old man, but he knew that was why he hadn't shown himself. He had sparred with him a couple of times when he had meditated the other day, but he hadn't been that talkative. This sudden disappearing act made it seem he wanted him to interact with his Inner Hollow rather than consult with him.

Not that he had a choice, but he didn't like it all the same.

" **Hey there, King** ," The Hollow -Zangetsu- said to him in a derisive tone.

"You know, I have a name," Ichigo dryly remarked.

" **So do I, but you don't have the decency of calling me it,** " The chalk faced reflection of Ichigo shook his head with a sneer. " **Your moral platform is as Hollow as my heart.** "

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo unwound the chains with a twitch of his sword arm, letting it wrap up his arm in a chain mail sleeve. Raising his weapon up towards the Hollow, he generated a cloud of Reiatsu around his body, swirling the air of his Inner World around him. As he did so, he saw the Hollow cast a weary gaze in his direction, almost reluctant in standing up.

" **So it's not enough you toppled me, but now you want me to be buddy-buddy with you?** "

"I'm not a fan of this idea, but I'm kind of battling demons and who knows what at the moment-"

" **Relax, I'm just yanking your chain,** " Hollow-Zangetsu cackled a bit, flipping backwards to his feet and unwound the chain in a similar style up his own bare arm. With a bright crimson aura of silver ebbing off the fiery Reishi, the doppelganger grinned as he reinforced his drive to beat his identical. He stared with glowing golden eyes against the fire of azure in Ichigo's usually hazel orbs.

In an instant, they clashed, creating a resounding boom within the empty tower filled landscape. Their cleavers clang like bats, bludgeoning as much as they ground their edges against one another. Every impact left rattling shockwaves on the constructs, buckling windows and cracking window frames along their sides. While Ichigo held a more solid defense with some bare counterattacks, he always missed his Inner Hollow at the last moment, his wild unpredictable style aiding him in a constant flow of momentum that rarely ceased during their engagement.

During a parrying sword clash, the Hollow reached out and grabbed the back of Ichigo's blade, yanking him forward to a rising knee to his gut. While Ichigo managed to palm the knee at the last second, this left him open to a pommel strike to the back of his head, smashing him into the precarious side of the tower's top. His vision blurred, skull ringing with pain, he relied on instinct to roll away from the bite of Hollow-Zangetsu's weapon; obliterating the upper story's facing half of the structure where he once was.

" **You really have lost your touch, Ichigo,** " The Inner Hollow chided, rising up from the wafting smoke of his attack. Hefting the blade to rest its backside on his shoulder, he shook his head with chastisement. " **Are you really the one who convinced the Old Man you're worthy of regaining your powers?** "

"Shut up! That was a dirty trick, and you know it!" Ichigo bellowed back, his left eye opening and closing, the warmth of blood dripping down the back of his neck as he didn't bother holding the wet spot of his head where it was smashed.

" **For someone whose fought Hollows, you should know better than to say that an attack of opportunity is beneath you** ," The Hollow-Zangetsu snapped, flipping the cleaver up into the air while feeding it more chain from his arm. By the time it got up a significant height, the whole of the chain ended at his gauntlet, allowing him to grab old of the white chain links and begin to spin it over his head. He continued to talk while hurtling the butcher weapon above them. " **Listen good, Ichigo, cause I hate repeatin' myself. These Demons, these Hanta, have already attacked you and your friends in the open. There was hardly anything secluded about both engagements and they didn't hesitate in playing dirty. They possess the cunning of Soul Reapers and the conniving of Hollows. They will do whatever it takes to win, no matter how unsavory the method.** "

"So I have to stoop to their level? Is that what you're saying?!" The Substitute Soul Reaper angrily shouted.

" **You make it seem like it's a bad thing to be unfair in a fight. Tell me, when was the last time honor really played to your advantage? When was the last time someone truly respected your resolve to fight fairly? I remember. A dying Arrancar wished to comply to your demands to give a fair fight** ," The Hollow sneered, his eyes narrowing at him as the sword over his head began to become alight with Getsuga Reishi. " **Only the dead respect honor. I have more respect for that kickboxing idiot who wasn't even a true Espada than that winged tight-ass who had no problem humiliating and breaking you, your friends and mentally torture your high school sweetheart.** "

Before Ichigo could comprehend a coherent argument, the Hollow yanked on the chain, hauling the blade along with a circular current of crimson-white energy. The whole of the built-up Reiatsu fed to the chains and blade had formed a large orb of scarlet light. When Ichigo lit up his sword for defense, the orb swelled up to enormity and his vision went to white as the upper half of the skyscraper was consumed in a fiery embrace. As the Hollow retrieved the blade back, the chain links twined up to the bare shoulder once more.

" ** _Fight like a Demon_. Wasn't that the advice _that clown_ gave you?**" The Hollow inquired with a jeering grin, seeing Ichigo's body in a shimmering silhouette in the smoke of his attack's destruction. " **You should probably take that guy's two cents more seriously. Don't give a damn what those things feel, what they think. They're damned for a reason, show no pity and remorse. Kill them however you can for there is no redemption to any who are condemned in that place.** "

A sudden thuum of force blew back the debris laden air, revealing Ichigo hanging in the place he was struck. Despite the steam rolling off his shoulders, only the bare traces of his face and knuckles showed signs of being burned by the attack. Bathed in a thick Getsuga current, Ichigo glared back at his Hollow, clearly frustrated at being lectured by his least favorite of his spiritual inner beings.

"You know something? I could take being lectured by the Old Man," He admitted, his brows knitting tightly as his Reiatsu exploded in an pyrotechnic flurry of blackness with red outlines. "But you're just pissing me off!"

" **So do something about it, _King_ ,**" The Hollow mocked with a laugh, igniting his sword and launching a Getsuga Tensho.

Ichigo retaliated, the two crescent waves smashing into each other and crackling mightily in the atmosphere. In the flashing display of wrestling Reishi, Ichigo launched his sword through the Getsugas, wrapped by an even stronger mantle, through it; forcing the Hollow to deflect it with a backwards swing. Doing so allowed him to see it wasn't attached by a hand but by the chain.

With his eyes focused on that aspect, a Shunpo movement throttled Ichigo's frame into view with a pulled back left hand hooking him across the jaw and finishing with a roundhouse kick in his side towards the ruined lower half of the skyscraper. Yanking his sword back, he streaked down to slam his weapon on the kneeling Hollow who had defended against him but couldn't suppress a raucous laugh.

" **THAT'S THE SPIRIT, ICHIGO! COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU GOT!** "

"Anything to wipe that smile off your face!" Ichigo cried out as the battle renewed within his Inner World.

* * *

When Senna came back with the food in hand, she saw Ichigo's eyes closed, looking almost serenely peaceful. She smiled, setting the food on his lap and kissed him on the cheek before walking back to where Ichigo's friends were eating. They were gathered at a round table, grabbing a seat before eating her food along with them.

Uryu pushed is glasses back up and spoke tersely to her once she arrived, "Senna. Nice for you to join us."

Orihime smiled widely seeing Senna. Adjusting her seating to scoot next to her sitting she asked with an emphasis of worry, "Is Ichigo alright? He didn't come get his food with everybody else."

Senna waved a hand dismissively, "Ah, he's fine. He's just tired from all of the chaos and shock from earlier, nothing to be worried about."

Orihime bowed her head, her smile dwindling for a second before reappearing, "Oh! Well he should rest up and get stronger soon then!"

Chad then asked with a visibly perplexed expression, "So…where does Ichigo know you from?"

Senna turned her head to the large Mexican friend of Ichigo's tapping her chin thoughtfully before saying, "I met him while I was fighting Blanks."

Everyone arched an eyebrow, with the exception of Uryu who was masking a hidden glare, at her statement. Sighing, Senna explained matter-of-fact, "Let's just say they are Souls without memory or emotion."

Orihime then brightened, now being informed of how the two of them met and scooted closer. She leaned against the table propping her head up to listen to her tale.

"I was seeing what looked like harmful spirits so I attacked, giving all I could to make sure they wouldn't hurt anyone. Then as I was about to release my Zanpakuto, Ichigo clashed with my own asking with such an irritated voice, ordering me to stand down."

Orihime asked enthusiastically, "What did you do?"

Senna smiled cheekily saying, "I kicked his face of course."

Orihime gasped, putting a hand to her mouth and Uryu smirked slightly amused at the fact such a little girl kicked him down, hiding it with an adjustment to his spectacles. Chad made no comment, just eyeing Senna with eagerness to continue.

Senna continued, "After I wiped out the Blanks, I came down in a Gigai state and was happy that I did so well. Then I noticed they were still there, and Ichigo was all flabbergasted and saying, 'How did you get a gigai?' and, 'Where did you come from?' looking all serious. It was…fun to meet someone that could see me and understand me…even if it wasn't totally real."

Orihime looked sad, wondering exactly what it'd be like to know your whole life is fabricated by other people's lives. Her own life was one of sadness and joy in equal regard. How could she cope knowing it was all fake, let alone so many others' constantly covering your thoughts with their memories. Confusion would be the least worry, a state of existential crisis being more than likely to occur for the poor girl.

In that line of thinking, Uryu asked an understandable question that was certainly on many of gathered's minds, "Then what does that make you now, Senna? Another Crystal of Memories? Human? Or just a member of these Soul Hunters?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Uryu?" Senna fired back readily, her own eyes glaring daggers at the clearly hostile Quincy.

Uryu smirked, however, and wasn't the least flustered at her biting words, choosing to continue verbally cut her down. "Says the girl who's been spying on Ichigo for nearly a week before moving in to 'save the day'."

Senna gasped, not noticing until now that he knew something more than the others. Both Orihime's shocked eyes and Chad's visible brown iris stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I-I…don't know what you're talking-"

"About?" Uryu interrupted Senna, arching a brow before chuckling and saying in a low dark voice, "I don't know your intentions, 'Senna', but I can tell you I am a friend and ally of Ichigo Kurosaki. Make no mistake, the moment I sense the slightest treachery in your plans with him, make no mistake. I will put. You. Down."

Senna was trembling at the audacity and total murderous intent in his voice. She was on the verge of tears, and feeling sick for what he said. ' _Is he right? Am I nothing but an…outcast and will never be truly in Ichigo's heart? Do I love him, truly?_ ' she asked herself as she felt her entire body spasm with shock of Uryu's threat, and calling her out like this in front of Ichigo's other friends.

Then Orihime slammed her palms onto the table raising her voice at Uryu, "Take that back, Uryu!"

Everyone around the table, even around the barbecue, had their eyes on Orihime, as her arms were shaking in anger.

Uryu was startled at Orihime's behavior, stuttering a reply, "O-Orihime?"

Angry eyes met Uryu's. Her arms shaking with fury before gesturing to Senna, "Take back what you said to Senna! Right now!"

Uryu gasped, almost unaware that she was going to retort against his remark, but he steeled his eyes straightening his glasses indignantly, "Why should I, Orihime? We know little of her and she is part of a shady organization that allegedly vowed to protect Ichigo. No one works for free, so I'm concerned of their intentions…-"

"That's not the point!" Orihime interrupted, still glaring at Uryu, "Senna is my friend, and I don't need to tell you how much she risked to protect me today! How much she cares for Ichigo is clear, and I don't need to question her intentions cause I know she's here to help! So stop interrogating her like she's an enemy and apologize. RIGHT NOW!"

All eyes drew to Uryu, awaiting a response. Uryu felt flabbergasted why _he_ is always targeted in these situations. He felt like he's the only one thinking the sensible thing and looking out for everyone's best interest and comes back to bite him. ' _What is it with Orihime? I didn't know about today, but a few saves can easily be manipulated into one's favor. I'll submit for now, considering the public humiliation if I don't,_ ' Uryu concluded in his mind, standing up and bowing his head towards Senna.

"I'm sorry…for what I said to you. That was uncalled for," Uryu said, but inwardly thought otherwise.

Senna could still feel his distrust but decided to accept his apology, knowing how much it took him to be this humble.

"Its alright, no offense taken," Senna said with a neutral face. Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she fished it out, reading the text. Her eyes widened slightly but then returned to a normal size smiling at everyone and hugging Orihime.

"Thank you, Orihime for sticking up for me," she said with a smile.

Orihime returned the hug with a smile of her own, "Your welcome."

Senna then let go and said, "I have to return this text, excuse me."

Orihime bowed and Senna was off entering the house, smiling and waving slightly to Ishiin and Kisuke, both of their gazes following her tensed form as she went inside and up the stairs, looking each other with serious faces nodding to each other.

Senna then entered the room and was greeted with a ambushing Kon, intending on glomping into her chest, yelling, "SURRRRPRISE!"

As Senna was glomped in her midriff by the stuffed animal, she snarled wrenching him off and throwing him into the corner, "PERVERT!"

Kon hit the wall with a squeak and fell to the floor likewise, smiling to himself with stars dancing in his eyes, "Such…perfect…chest…heaven…"

Senna just scoffed as she checked her text message again reading, 'SENNA! Need to talk now! -Ryo'.

Senna typed back, 'What's up, Ryo?-Senna'. Senna tapped her foot impatiently as the moments turned into a minute replying saying, 'They're back in greater numbers. Searching city. Get out now!-Ryo.'

Senna widened her eyes, as she texted back asking, 'Who's coming?-Senna'

It only took a moment when she got her message, 'Malice is here…-Ryo.'

Senna then gasped with shock and then heard someone at the door, reaching around to punch them in the face from reflex. Unfortunately, Isshin was punched right in the face hurling back into the hallway, Kisuke ducking the blow by instinct.

Senna held her hand to her mouth apologizing to Kisuke, "Kisuke! I'm so sorry!"

Kisuke chuckled waving a fan, "Well you know, you're pretty wound up tight to snap a tree in half, hehehe!"

Isshin was lying on the ground for a moment, grumbling about 'violent girls' and 'why can't Ichigo find a decent girlfriend?', getting up rubbing his face before getting serious.

"Who's text was that just now?" Ichigo's dad asked crossing his arms.

Senna crossed her arms saying, "I don't think its any business to any MAN what a girl's TEXT message was."

Kisuke then arose with a serious look as well, "We both know that's not the reason. It was from Ryo, wasn't it?"

Senna flinched and then turned away, before speaking, "You don't trust me, so why should I trust you?"

Kisuke sighed saying, "I have been doing this far longer than you have, Senna. For the fact, I have lived for many centuries longer than you have, which you probably been informed. Ichigo puts a lot of faith in his friends and allies, and although it clouds his judgment at times, I choose to let him make his decisions and stand by them. So, will you trust us now?"

Senna bit her lower lip, still hesitant on telling them. She then said in a low foreboding voice saying, "They're coming for him, and in great numbers. That's what I got from the message."

Kisuke frowned and Ichigo's dad crossed his arms, "We'll handle them, we're altogether and ready for anything they throw at us."

Senna's were widened as she shook her head saying, "You don't understand! Malice is coming with them! One of the strongest of the Hantas, and I nearly was overpowered by one of the middle men. They've gotten stronger somehow…"

Isshin then patted Senna's head with a confident smile that mirrored Ichigo's, "I'm his father, and those are his friends down there. We won't stand by and let them hurt Ichigo. That's the last thing we plan on happening!"

Kisuke nodded saying, "Yes, the moment they arrive, we'll be alerted by the sensors I placed strategically around Karakura Town."

Senna turned to face Kisuke, her hair ruffled by Isshin's hand with a arched eyebrow, "Sensors?" Kisuke nodded smiling as he pulled out a device that looked similarly to a GPS tracker, but it had small blue boxes representing the sensors he placed on a topographical map of Karakura Town.

"And now we activate the sensors, via switch," Kisuke said with a smile, pushing the trackers big red button, making all of the boxes began to beep and green waves similar to radar, pulsed from them. Within moments, red triangles appeared all across the town, moving rapidly, causing all three to gasp in horror. Their enemies are numbered in the dozens, and were growing with every ping of the pulses.

Senna quickly dug into Ichigo's closet, grabbing her trench coat and swinging it over her and grabbing her Kido gun, loading it with the appropriate ammo.

"We better get ready," Isshin said to Kisuke, who only gravely nodded back and saw Senna grab her Zanpakuto, heading out the window with a leap onto the ground outside.

Senna immediately saw five figures, all clothed in white robes, all of varying sizes and shapes, stop in front of the house, identifiable as Hantas.

The lead one had Spikey White hair, was tall and lean, and had a lewd grin on as he sized up Senna, "Hiyah, pretty thing! You know where a certain guy by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki is?"

The one next to him, significantly shorter than him, was a girl with pink pigtails, with eyeshadow and overly big robe on her, the sleeves going much past her arms and was wearing tower shoes. She poked at the leader saying.

"Kuro, I think she's the Soul Hunter they were talking about," she said, noticing she was carrying the Zanpakuto and was drawing it as they spoke.

Kuro narrowed his eyes on the Zanpakuto and gleamed, "OH! You're a Soul Hunter! You guys give us real head aches sometimes…oh well," he extended one thin arm to her saying, "You give us Ichigo Kurosaki, I might just let you live. I'd hate to hurt such a hottie like you-"

Senna then whizzed past him, faster than he could see, standing behind him with sword drawn, leaving an afterimage of herself through Flash Step.

Kuro's eyes widened in shock, suddenly feeling his chest burst open, two large wounds open up from his midriff, blood gushing out of him from both sides, gasping in shock.

"Wh-What…the hell?" He uttered as he felt himself, fall to his knees. Senna had a cold indifferent look to her face, as she whipped out her blade, blood flakes dripping onto Kuro's robes.

"I don't have time to jest with you amateurs, so forgive me if I make this too quick," She said, backhanding effortlessly Kuro across the street, his body landing in a heaving, bloody crater in the sidewalk, barely breathing.

The shorter Hanta cried out in horror shouting his name, "KURO!" She summoned her sword barely in time to see Senna cut down another of the Hantas to Kuro's former right, his head cut clean in half, falling limply to the ground, the others barely could summon their swords in time before Senna killed all but the short Hanta and one beside her, he was short and fat, his hair matted to his head with a pale blue texture, talking to his cohort nervously, "Asar didn't say she was this good, Myri! What are we going to do?"

Senna kicked one of the falling bloody bodies, turning to face them, her sword soaked with the Hantas' blood, stepping over the fallen bodies, speaking lowly, "Your turn."

Myri gulped quickly using her twin sai, connected to a chain and began to release, shouting, "RUN! Get help before she-!"

Senna Flash Stepped past her, slicing her head off from her neck, then slashed the last the fat Hanta across the chest, moving too slow for Senna to counter, falling to the ground dead.

Kuro crawled over on his hands and knees, pushing himself up, coughing up blood but still rising to his feet, "You…cut my…Soul Chain…didn't you?"

Senna admired the stubborness of Kuro's will to live, turning to face him indifferently, "You are bound by a chain of power, granted by your masters, each located where your hole should be," she said pointing to the tattoo on his chest that was now visible, "your Hollow hole is filled with a chain to their will. I just cut it, therefore, cutting your Arrancar powers from you, making you unable to summon your Zanpakuto. Its finished."

Kuro walked heavily forward, moving one step in front of another until he was just a couple feet within Senna,

"You…SOUL…REAPERS…TAKE EVERYTHING…FROM ME!" He said with as much energy he had left, he thrust out his hand towards her throat, and was simply cut off with a slice of her sword, his arm falling to the ground before disintegrating into black ashes before disappearing completely.

Kuro wheezed, painfully held onto his stump and said, "You're…going…to die…all of you! Its been foretold….kaff-kaff-kaff…there would a dark battle that would tear across the World of the Living…as the Legions of Hell are set loose…and will eradicate all living things! You'll…kaff-kaff-kaff, hehehe…kaff-kaff-kaff…see…" Kuro then fell to the ground, onto the ground, his body crunching limply as he gasped his last breath dying.

Senna hadn't heard a Hanta foretell something before, especially near death.

"Is that why…?" She started to wonder, however eight creatures suddenly leaped onto the scene, howling and snarling with saliva of blood dripping from their maws.

Their bodies were covered with charred skin no ordinary Soul Reaper can cut, charred from the fires of Hellfire, acting as a callous armor. They feel no pain, and are abused to the point of empty minds of hunger and obedience. Their faces are horribly twisted, four eyes on each one, and a terrible mouth, dripping with the saliva of blood, their very bodies in constant death-state. Their massive bulky bodies, easily the size a car, rippled with muscle and have scythe like tails and clawed hands for feet. They are known, as Hellspawn, the official twisted lowest beings of Hell, foolish enough to beg to an Alpha Demon for surrender of pain only to be twisted into mindless beasts, devoid of emotion or pain.

The nearest one stepped its front clawed hand into the ground, its maw gruesomely salivated at its newest target, Senna shivered at the sight of it, as it reared up for an attack.

As the Hellspawn leapt at her, its maw was fired into by a blue arrow, synchronized by firing also into the gaping maws of the other Hellspawn. The surprise attack caused Senna to widen her eyes, her Zanpakuto was held out in front of her out of reflex, unaware where the shots came from. The Hellspawn fell over vomiting blood from their horrid orifices, shortly choking and gurgling, dying horrible sounding deaths.

"Those things leave themselves totally open for attack, its quite sad," Proclaimed Uryu, standing on top of the house. He was still dressed in his civilian white T-Shirt and jeans, his bow held to the side; its bright blue signature web design not changing too much since she last saw it.

Senna got back her nerve, scoffing back indignantly, "I could've handled it!"

"Like how you handled those Hanta back there?" Uryu asked pushing his glasses up, the Sun glaring off them showing his plain contempt for her.

Senna just turned her head away from him saying, "There's more out there. Why don't you find somewhere else to exterminate Hanta?"

"I decided it would be best I stayed here to protect Orihime and Ichigo, seeing as they are no match for enemies of this caliber. Kisuke is heading to where his shop is to gather the kids to help fight too. The Visoreds are just splitting up around the city in groups, trying to cover as much ground as possible. Isshin is also here in case they get past me, even if that possibility is minimal."

Senna waved her arm out yelling back at him, "That's not nearly enough! There are DOZENS of enemies out there, and they covered the entire town!"

As she spoke teams gathered around the entire town, seeing a collection of Spiritually strong individuals at their appointed places. Kisuke moved to his shop to get his group ready for attack; Shinji and the Visoreds scattered around town; and Uryu and Senna were joined by Chad, wearing his black T-Shirt and beige pants, his arm already enraptured by his Spiritual powers, forming his black and red right arm.

"You should have faith in Ichigo's allies. They know what they're dealing with, and they will give their lives to protect him," Chad spoke solemnly, his eye staring at Senna's desperate chestnut orbs.

Senna sighed, reluctantly resigning with a weary smile, "Hard to think that you're the one to talk sense into me," Casting a stare at the disappearing bodies of the Hanta, she pensively frowned at where they were slain, speaking her mind aloud. "I wonder why they're searching the town when they could be attacking him all at once? You'd think they could feel his presence."

Uryu answered her question from his perch, "It's the fact Ichigo isn't releasing any spiritual pressure of any sort. He must've cloaked himself before sleeping or whatever he's doing."

Chad nodded, "I noticed that too, when he fell asleep that is."

Senna sighed with relief saying, "Well, let's hold the line here and hope the others can do their part."

"Indeed. My-My, it's been awhile, Senna," A dark voice spoke behind them, and Senna gasped, twirling around to see the threat she hoped she wasn't going to face.

"M-Malice…" She gasped out, her hands trembling on her Zanpakuto at the sight of him.

Uryu was also shocked he didn't feel him coming. Each of these infernal creatures possessed an enormous Reiatsu, that with his ability to pick out signatures of quality and type, this one could mask himself so expertly. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he raised his bow and drew its string back while demanding out loud, "What do you want here, Hanta?!"

Malice looked up at Uryu, his gold-crimson eyes showed only resentment for what he saw. He responded in a bloodthirsty timbre, "I'm here to retrieve Ichigo Kurosaki. Dead or Alive. Do you know him?"

Uryu dodged the question by introducing himself with a proud shout, "I am Uryu Ishida! The Last Quincy! Do well to not underestimate _his_ allies!"

Malice cocked his head to the side, smiling maliciously as he did. "So you _do_ know where he is, then? Take me to him and we don't have to fight. Sound fair?"

Chad stood next to Senna, interceding with a dangerous tone, "We're not telling you, nor are we letting you take him!" He clenched his fist audibly, making crackling noises threateningly to Malice. Malice was a large figure, about 6 ft tall and had visible rippling muscles visible beneath his white cloak, his hair was a contrast however, dyed a matte black, reflecting his pale complexion with repulsing visage.

He pointed a pale hand to Senna, a large scar traced along his fore finger and up his wrist, saying, "You gave me this scar; by accident on my part. I won't underestimate you a second time, little Soul Hunter."

Senna brandished her Zanpakuto around her hand before gripping it with both, "I won't be beaten easily!"

Malice moved one step forward with his right foot, a blue arrow shot by it as a warning shot, making him look up indifferently at Uryu.

"Nuisance," He hissed, raising his a hand in Uryu's direction and snapped. The consequence of two muscles causing a pop in the atmosphere, a visible tear in the air that suddenly became a shrieking propulsion of shredding force. The shockwave stampeded through the top of Ichigo's house, forcing Uryu to employ Hirenkyaku to barely avoid the surprising attack.

Senna gathered wind-natured Reiatsu around her blade and leaped forward to slash at Malice's extended arm. With the same appendage he blocked the blade's edge with the back of his hand easily. Not bereft of injury, he received a shallow gash that sent a slight spray of blood. The expression on his face twisted with annoyance, eyes narrowing angrily.

"You've gotten stronger, I see," Malice remarked, pushing her back with his defending hand, returning it to a snapping posture in retaliation.

" **El Directo!** " Chad roared, rushing forward to release a gout of destructive blue-white Reishi towards Malice at a distance. In response to the immediate threat, Malice used his unoccupied hand to stop the blast through tactile contact. Bludgeoning into his palm, his eyes glowered and his feet began to skid across the concrete road and past the sidewalk into the front another house, smashing it apart in a vibrant explosion that reduced the whole of the structure into smoldering ash and burnt wood.

"That's almost like a Cero yet _different_. Interesting," He remarked with intrigue, the Hanta emerged from the obliterated structure with only a curling wrap of steam over a small scorch mark on his palm from stopping the blast. His sleeve of his robe was burned off completely, showing a muscle bound, pale, scarred arm that bore no real sign the attack was effective.

"You have an impressive attack, for a human. No one can usually force me back that far," Malice complimented with a feral grin, walking towards Chad with a now clenched fist. Not allowing the monster to get closer to his friend, the Quincy from what he saw let loose a dozen arrows instantaneously at his casually walking position. Malice sidesteps and turns his on his heels, dancing in and around each shot with no sign of pressure on his part.

"Not bad! Try this!" Uryu beckoned the Hanta, multiplying the number of arrows by two as he let another barrage fly.

Malice widened his eyes, using an unnamed Quick Movement technique to blur behind the arrows. Just as he had avoided them, the Quincy smiled for a moment before giving an audible command, "Turn!" And the arrows turned around in a 180 degree angle, coming towards his back. The Hanta growled, turning on his heel and snapping his finger, a great burst of Reiatsu turned shrieking wind emitted. The ground fissure, the air warped, the arrows broke fizzled in the air as the locomotive of terrifying force smoothed out the former house and struck the face of the next house behind it.

Senna stepped back, feeling herself unsteady from his enormous Reiatsu being released unconsciously. Chad sweated nervously, seeing such a monster in action made him wonder if this was the right fight for him to intervene. Uryu, however was unfazed, disregarding the fact the Hanta just created a miniature earthquake from a snap of his finger. Instead, he asked a rhetorical question that doubled as a threat.

"Can you dodge an instantaneous barrage of 1200 arrows?"

Malice turned, amused that the human was still trying. Raising his arms in a visual invitation of the challenge, he crowed aloud, "Give me your best shot, Quincy!"

" **Licht Regen!** " Uryu proclaimed, his bow glowing brightly as it assimilated the atmosphere's Reishi particles in rapid progress. As he did, Chad also readied another El Directo, an excess funnel of Reishi shot out of his shoulder while his fist assimilated his own Reiryoku from the inside. Then, in unison, his powerful punch shot alongside twelve hundred Heilig Pfeil. A spiraling funnel of projectiles and flames of Reishi all barreled towards the Malice, whose arms were still outstretched and his laughing aloud with deranged mania.

In an instant, he snapped both fingers in a crossing blur of one limb over the other. Two erupting spheres of rupturing air burst in front of him, unleashed in a deafening roar of eradicating wind that blurred across the visual horizon. Colliding against the light arrows and projected punch, they both dissolved in a buckling collapse of reaved spirit energy. While Uryu avoided the attack along with a nearby Senna, Chad was unfortunate enough to be throttled into the Kurosaki's upper story window, smashing through it and busting through a wall noisily.

"CHAD!" Senna shouted in distress, seeing him flung like that she feared the worse. Instead of running off, Uryu got her attention in his immediate alarm of how powerful this man's ability was. "What is up with this guy, Senna? His powers are unreal. He just snaps his fingers and my arrows don't even get through whatever power he's sending at me. Not even my Licht Regen and Chad's El Directo had any effect!"

"It's his special ability," She explained in a hushed tone, her eyes trained at Malice's pleased expression, bared teeth and eyes gleaming with a glowing sense of intimidation. "By manipulating his body in a certain way, he can use his immense strength and Reiryoku to create explosive rifts in the air that disrupt Reishi of any kind. He does this with any feasible part of his body. He's also the only Hanta whose not a Soul Reaper or Hollow from life, but a human being. I don't know what he is now, given the contract he's signed but it's absurdly strong."

Uryu grimaced at hearing this news. Malice slowly stomped forward, the air thick of bloodlust and quaking by the virtual Reiatsu that threatened the choke him by the throat. Sweating, he quietly surmised as a drop ebbed from his temple off his brow, "If we don't stop him, Ichigo may be in real danger. Let alone the rest of his friends who try to stop him!"

Senna gulped a lump in her throat. The best she had done in the past was distract Malice before retreating outright. He was a monster in every sense of the word. If they fight, here and now, a lot of people could die in the crossfire. She could die, along with Uryu, Chad, Isshin and everyone she conceived had a name that's part of Ichigo's life.

Closing her eyes, she focused on what mattered most; the smiling face of Ichigo and the sensation of his forehead against her own.

"Ichigo. I'll defend you, with all my strength!" She shouted, her body erupting in a flurry of autumn leaves and orange colored Reiatsu, reinforced her Resolve. Eyes lit up of autumn embers, the Quincy noted with a recoiling look of surprise by her sudden determination. Grinning, he disengaged his Ginrei Kojaku and retrieved one of the silver shaped hilts strapped along the back of his jeans; the Steele Schneider, activated in a whirring hiss that kept a vibrant hum of blue-white hue.

Malice chuckled, enjoying the futile resistance of his prey. With his own body distorted by his enormous Reiatsu that could be felt for kilometers, making Orihime shake in the backyard and Isshin scowl from his place beside her, he bellowed aloud with a maddening cackle. "Come on, little mortals. I'll show you true power like you've never seen before!"

* * *

 **A/N** : So, I changed the parts I thought mattered most and I was content enough for the latter battle half of the chapter to leave as is. Given how the rest of the story plays out, I'm okay with getting Chad out of the picture for the moment. It's kind of key, actually. So, until next time, here's the next chapter of Redux!


	8. M-A-S-K-E-D C-A-R-N-A-G-E

**"Don the Mask of our Heart. Embrace the Nature of Sin. Eradicate our Foes that bear the Mark of the Devil. We Are The Masked Army; The Visoreds!"**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **M-A-S-K-E-D C-A-R-N-A-G-E**

* * *

While the leader of this bandit crew of Hell did battle with Uryu and Senna, the other Hanta scattered across Karakura Town. Despite this place being a smaller branch of the enormous city that is Tokyo, over a hundred thousand citizens with varying ranges of spiritual sensitivity. Though the vast majority would never see a ghost or even be aware of its presence, others could be startled by the unnatural phenomena that occasionally transpire in such a place. Its most recent sighting was of a high school boy doing battle with a robed stranger that caused havoc on one of the town's major bridges.

For the people that were just having fun in the carnival side of the town, not far from the river, they could hear some distant noises. Something akin to explosions and shaking. When it came towards them, a child looked up and saw something move in the sky. It was like a shadow that warped and rippled, invisible to most but only to him. Innocent eyes widened as a number of dark blobs were dropped, appearing to be nothing more than small ball bearings. As they were about to strike the ground, the metallic shells cracked and split open, revealing pulsating flesh that became a swelling tendril that lashed out at the nearest target.

Leaping back with a yelp, the boy was fortunate it didn't touch him. Unfortunately for his father, he felt his leg twined by viscous muscle, sinking through his skin and amorphously into the bone. He yelled and the boy shook, frozen, unable to speak as his parent thrashed and panicked in the vicinity of the invisible parasite that latched onto him. Spreading quickly, his leg muscles bulged through the pants tearing them and his feet through the shoes. They became talon affixed in place of nails and corpse hued scales covered the exterior of his once hairy skin. A slimy tail with a spear point protruded from the back in a squelch, his spine jutting spikes up the middle of the back while the top of the shoulders created durable carapaces akin to pauldrons of bone. With hair shed off his head, skin was stretched and ears overlapped by extra stretched scaled skin. Teeth were bared and gnarled, eyes bulging with blackened outlines with red, animal slits and nonexistent snouts.

Crying out with horror, a similar process happened to at least a dozen other people in the crowd, making the masses run in panic and scream in terror. The boy was leaning back as the monster that was once his father howled loud enough to shake the ground and reverberate in the air. The others joined in a crescendo, a white cloaked figure dropped in a crouch. Rising up, the boy could see in his periphery that this person had dark purple hair and smooth black lips. Reaching out a similar colored hand to caress the feral beast's cheek, she looked over, her inky black eyes holding twinkling amethyst rings for irises. Grinning, she gave an unheard command and the monster whipped around, hand reaching up.

And lunging towards him.

Crossing his arms in front of his face, he shrieked in fright as his transformed father was about to harm him. But the blow didn't come. Instead a sudden warmth overtook his immediate surrounding, a diminished thud being heard. Squinting his eyes through the cracks of light his arm allowed, he pulled back and gaped as a dome not bigger than five feet in diameter and height was made. The claws of the beast was halted; cracking it but not getting through.

"Who are you?" The female cloaked figure asked with a liquid timbre; a voice almost alien to any living person's ears.

"Someone who can't bear the sight of children being slaughtered," Hachigen Ushoda, the Visored whose former station was Kido Lieutenant of the Kido Corps, answered Hanta's question. The pink haired and mustached man was huge, the boy amazed at the sheer size as imposing as the beast that had aimed to kill him. As he leaned against his hands, he heaved heavily as unseen pressure seemed to flow around him from all sides; but the thing that kept him from passing out was the gentle warmth that was seeping from the barrier's enclosure keeping him alive. Wearing a Hawaiian T-Shirt with pink and yellow colors over a white backdrop, his black slacks and open-air sandals showed his urgency to rush to the scene over looking presentable.

Whatever the case may be, the boy was happy he was here rather than not.

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" The Hanta cooed in a too-sweet tone. "Since you're so invested in saving this child, I guess that means I have something you want. I'm looking for something too. If we help each other, there's no reason to have anybody hurt, wouldn't you agree?"

"And what might that be?" Hachigen inquired with a level tone.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," The Hanta continued with an outstretched hand of black-violet markings from the wrist up while the majority of her hand was a faint purple complexion. "Tell me where he is so I may collect him for my master, Lord Ryoken. Then I shall leave the child and the bystanders here be."

The boy began to hyperventilate, worried that the larger man wouldn't protect him for the sake of not giving up whoever this Ichigo was. Shaking in place, he crawled to the back of the orange dome, touching it with his shirt covered back and realized it didn't budge. Worse yet he saw the beast that was his parent was clawing further into the barrier; these threatening actions making him tear up and look away, clenching eyes shut as he tried to scurry away in a futile gesture.

"I think mistook your position, Miss," Hachigen politely answered, shaking his head sagely as he acknowledged the look of confusion on the Hanta's face. "I'm not here to negotiate the boy's life. I'm here for all of Karakura Town's innocents that you seek the harm. Just a few dozen, a few hundred, or this boy isn't enough. Your deal is too shortsighted and unassuming that I'm here for a few people. Therefore, I cannot allow you to leave here."

If looks could kill, the boy was certain that he'd be dead a thousand times over from the expression of sheer hatred coming from her burning coals for eyes.

"Fiends! Kill the boy AND the fat man!" She commanded.

The monster in front of the boy began to strike the barrier at a multiplied speed he couldn't possibly keep track of. Screaming, the child witnessed the other monstrosities rush forward as the frontal part of the dome began to web and snap under the duress just one of them was causing. An unseen chill entered his spine when Hachigen passed a rotund hand over his face, creating a witch doctor's mask to cover his face. Finger snaps stopped each rampaging beast as blue square barriers covered each of their heads.

" **You've gone far enough!** " The rotund Visored commanded, clapping his hands together with a loud smack. Succinctly it triggered the blue barriers to become a solid transparent red. In executing this, the heads all slid off the bodies, leaving them beheaded while the barriers disappeared over the disembodied severed parts.

Strangely enough, the bodies stood upright and the stumps wriggled with grotesque wet sounds. The Visored looked on with an unseen wide-eyed stare as the proclaimed Fiends sprouted blood-covered tendrils lined with teeth to replace the decapitated heads. Ghastly blood curdling cries filled the air, shaking the barrier surrounding the child and making the experienced Kido Master's skin crawl.

"You can't kill Fiends so easily, Soul Reaper!" The Hanta cackled, hands waved and a broad smile stretched sickeningly across her human face. "Once a sapling latches onto a host, the body is nigh unkillable. Every injury you put on it just makes it stronger! There's nothing you can do to stop them; except allow yourself to be butchered for their nutrition, hahahahahahahahaha!"

During her slip of madness, Hachigen noticed the creature nearest to his left reared its tendril-head back and launched all five ichor stained, tooth-lined appendages towards him. Clapping his hands, he threw up a golden square barrier, blocking the attack with a wet smack followed by a buckling whoosh of wind. Another vaulted over the damaged barrier encasing the child, spreading the tendrils back to expose a blood and saliva lined gullet, aiming to engulf him head first. With a finger gesture, he formed a barrier within its widened maw and mentally commanded it to propel itself back along with the gagged Fiend a dozen meters to a crashing halt.

This exchange went on for the next minute, with Hachigen using his swiftly made barriers to send them back or temporarily disarm them of attack. He admittedly wasn't an offensive fighter, his barriers often meant for sealing or incapacitation. But with how quickly the creatures seemed to recover, not to mention harm only strengthened them, he was on a ticking clock of how much his Hollowfication could hold out. Grimacing, he knew if he took the child and fled, they could possibly outrun them but that'd leave more innocents at risk.

"I don't know what the deal is with that mask of yours, but all you're doing is delaying the inevitable!" The Hanta crowed, grinning with glee at the struggle he was putting up against her pets. Dragging her fingers down her face, she stretched her cheeks and the skin around the eyes to emphasize her deranged euphoria she was feeling from both the crying child and the struggling Hollow-powered Soul Reaper. "Struggle! Squirm! Beg! Writhe! Scream! Cry! Keep giving me pleasure as your time runs out like grains of an hourglass!"

One of the creatures' tendrils snaked around a cast barrier, sinuously stretching out to latch a mucus line of teeth on the head protrusion. Leaning to the side, it carved a third of his mask off, scraping his cheek past the temple to the top of his ear off in a spray of blood. Thanks to the Hollowfication, the pain was numbed, but the contact was alarming nonetheless. Another burrowed its head into the earth, the tentacles erupting by his feet in search of entangling him. With sights of several others rushing madly upon him, Hachigen used Shunpo to force him away to the other side of the dome protecting the child. Having counted the seconds, he knew his time was running out before this was going to deplete his stamina fighting such fierce beasts.

That was when an idea came upon the giant man. His visible, Hollowfied eye gleamed with an epiphany just as the creatures turned in unison to his new location. With the head burrowed Fiend being the closest, he allowed it to draw near before firing an orange colored tendril at the monstrosity. Attaching it like glue, he directed it with his finger to maneuver out from its target to continue stretching to each of the rampaging Fiends. Even as the drew closer he waited till the last one got ensnared so he could unleash his trap.

An ominous whirring sound revved in the air, a deep red glow burst around his pudgy hand where the web-like Kido was shot and he spoke a double timbre octave that made the Hanta stop laughing and the child's eyes widen, " **Cero!** "

A streak of blood light surged from the net, surging through one Fiend and out to the next. Flesh bubbled, pus evaporated and bones turned to ash within vibrant blasts of Reishi as the funnel of Reiatsu birthed fire moved from one target to the other. When the final Fiend was eradicated, Hachigen took time to unmask to save what time he had left. Sighing with relief, he applied a patchwork Time Regression Kido to mend his face, turning to face the Hanta; whose countenance was of pure anger.

"Those were _mine_! _My fiends_! They weren't supposed to _break_! You're going to pay for it! Yes! _Pay_ - _Pay_ - _Pay_! _Pay_ in **blood**!" The Hanta raved, tearing off her cloak her body and shredding it into pieces, stomping on the bits that were turned into scraps. Grinding them beneath her boots, they saw a human-shaped denizen of Hell, though her complexion and color scheme depicted something different than those that had come before her. She bore violet-black features from the neck and scalp down, revealing a voluptuous shaped individual that would be alluring to anyone's eyes if nothing else but for the curvaceous shape. But while the skin constantly shifted like colored water, her hands and face maintained a constant pale violet hue while her black eyes to inky hair were especially daunting.

Baring her pearly teeth, she raised a hand and the liquid sleeve of her skin overlapped the knuckles up to the finger tips. It'd transform into an inhuman shaped pair of claws that were razor sharp and dagger in width. Grinding the edges together into sickeningly claw on chalkboard sounds, sparks rebounded off the digits as she crossed one sumptuous thigh over the other. Each step she took with her featureless feet a daunting pressure spread, like a noxious scene of smoke and ink, with a release of Reiatsu that engulfed the given surroundings in a heavy gravity that made Hachigen take a backward step of trepidation at her sheer power.

"I'm going to peel the flesh off your fat, Soul Reaper!" She cackled, her neck swallowed up by the liquid textured skin, giving white faux eyes of arched crescents in shapes and globule stretched teeth. Completely alien in appearance, she shrieked at a deafening decibel as her body stretched in a liquid wave. Her clawed hands crossed over the other upon approach, matching the swift casting speed of Hachigen's golden-block Bakudo. The knives cut through the surface all the way to the back, splitting them into perfect bifurcated pieces that crumbled before the surprised Visored.

As she stretched a tissue-serrated grin he knew that he was no match for this foe before him.

Clapping his hands again before she could move once more, a stack of triple lime colored squares tilted on an angle up was formed. In that instant, an intricate teseract hexagonal cross of green light is formed, trapping the Hanta within. With her clawed hands barely outstretched, the creature screamed in frustration as despite her cuts and banging against the barrier from within, it seemed to hold strong.

" **Roppo Fujin**! This will hold you down for now, Hanta," He declared with wavering confidence. This was a Kido he had used to stop Segunda Espada, Barragan Luisenbairn. It had only been for moments due to the unique nature of his powers but it was one of his strongest cages he could make with his own style of Time/Space Kido. Even against someone of a higher tier than he was, the barrier was made to hold beings for a prolonged period of time.

But the longer she began hacking on the barrier, the more concerned he became. The glass-like surface bucked and shuddered with every blow she landed upon the interior. Her shrieks became shrill giggles, and the speed of her attacks increased with veracity when she could feel give to her prison. The hexagon cracked, squeaked and snapped under hundreds of blows per second, so fast it looked like she'd grown multiple limbs at once. The Kido held for all of twenty seconds before it completely gave way to the cutting power of her claws, forcing the Visored to break his concentration and slam both palms on the ground.

In a large explosion of crimson smoke, a blanket of cover was offered to the whole carnival area they were inhabiting.

"You can't esssssssssscape me, Ssssssssssssssoul Reaper!" She snarled, her gooey teeth oozing saliva that hissed with heat on touching the ground. Sniffing the air, she looked around, trying to find the Reiatsu that she smelled earlier. Stalking the ground she ground her claws together, creating an unnerving grinding sound while sparks sprayed all around her. Illuminated orange complemented the eerie cadence, the dark silhouette maneuvering around with one deliberate step after the other.

Stopping short of one step she lurched her body at an odd contortion. Whipping one arm over the other, she let loose a shrieking stroke from a blurring appendage. As the tips of her razor claws touch the earth an upheaval of the park's concrete was slashed up in perfect strokes, deep recesses going beyond what one could see and stretching all the way past a distant Ferris Wheel, slashing it into many pieces, causing the monstrous structure to fall apart noisily in the backdrop. Even the sea beyond was sliced apart, raising two enormous waves from the severing force that had propelled itself past the large body of water.

Simultaneously, she saw a brief moment a flicker of light fade followed by a pair of images retreating. Blood was left on the leftmost area where the slash was sent, meaning she hadn't entirely missed him. She leered, commending on such a rotund being for moving so quickly; with the child in hand, no less.

"You can run, Ssssssssssssssssoul Reaper," She began, coiling her body to an unnatural compact state before shooting out into the sky, eager to give chase after him. "But you can't hide from me!"

* * *

Love wasn't prepared for today.

Ordinarily a very chill guy, Love Aikawa deals with problems with a cool temperament and a focused mind. But the sight he had bore when confronting the enemy was one of a nightmare. Dispatched from the barbecue at a moment's notice he waltzed into a scene of over a dozen Hanta, all gathered around what he could describe as a shopping mart. He could tell that ordinarily it'd be a time of festivities and just casual shopping, overwhelmed with people during fevered seasons afoot.

But now, he saw with holes on the sides of the adjoined structures, flames spouting smoke and the stench of decay that this was a recent slaughtering. In a matter of moments on their arrival, the creatures cut loose and began to unleash upon the hapless citizens. Bodies were torn from torsos, necks, appendages and more to be left in gory wakes of their entry into the mall. He could still hear screams as he entered the first floor, hearing it happen not far away while hundreds of people were running in terror in multiple directions.

At the far end, he could see a bestial monster that resembled a man but turned horrific freak. Bent down on all fours, the Hellspawn gored on a man relentlessly, making him visibly cringe at the sight. Without a second thought, he leaped forward and unsheathed his sword from his hip, whipping the bandoleer attached scabbard around his shoulder upon arrival. Smashing the skull of the Hellspawn in with a gurgled yelp, he pulled back the bloodied handle of his blade and sunk it deep through one if its eyes, twisting and grinding it till it jerked with a dying twitch.

"Ugh! Nasty!" He remarked, kicking the thing aside and watching it dissolve into ash as it spewed blood from its mouth. The remains weren't worth mentioning, forcing him to light the 'meal' so it wouldn't be left to rot. Looking around, he saw a ragged haired being in white, hanging by the ceiling of the with a single bulbous eye staring through the hanging curtain of hair.

It lurched out of the way at the last moment, crawling backwards like some sort of spider.

"Don't you know that it's impolite to just sneak up on a guy like that?" Love asked rhetorically, cocking a smirk as he readied himself for a fight.

The Hanta said nothing, opting instead to reach a set of spindly fingers up into the mossy hair to where its lips were presumably. Then, it'd blow a whistle that could be heard all over the mall, making Love's ears hurt at the shuddering impression it made on the first floor. The screams seemed to grow fainter and the people seemed to vacate the area. Crashing through the ceiling, Love narrowly avoided the dropping of what seemed the entire upper stories' worth of goods, roofing and the bodies that were slain. Emerging out of the collapsing part of the mall, Love's grey parka stained with soot of debris with the sleeves slightly bloodied from his earlier kill and his white tee, jogger sweats and blue-white tennis shoes were spotted with specks of filth.

Emerging from the wreckage was a host of beings that he knew were the signals Kisuke had sent him after. The mossy haired one was hunched on all fours, unmoved by the wrecking of the building, opting to perch on a pile of miscellaneous goods mixed with floor and roofing. Another was a wiry tall individual with a white cloak covering him from the neck down, exposing his blue foam one could say was hair while piercings adorned around his eyes, lips, nostrils and ears of brass tint. A third was the biggest of the lot, arms bigger than his torso and acted like limbs of an ape to hold him up in front of his leaning lower body. The fourth was a bug-eyed man with rows and rows of teeth, serrated to a knife's edge with tiny fingers that wriggled like worms around his baggy sleeved white cloak. The fifth was a three-headed individual, sharing six arms and bearing six identical looking scimitars, all with slug-like mucus dripping off their exposed skin with antennae protruding from their foreheads. The sixth was rotund in shape, akin to a beach ball with tiny hands and feet, its head barely peering from the bloated cloak that wrapped tightly around it. The seventh was, in fact, six identical appearing silhouettes all in a similar average shape and size with no distinguishing features about it.

"Looks like I hit the jackpot of ugly," He murmured to himself, rising back up to full height. Resting his Zanpakuto's flat on his shoulder, he tapped it as he measured up each and every one. "Twelve, just like the sensor said. How 'm I goin' to do this?"

"You...Ichigo Kurosaki?" The bigger Hanta, named Oni, with simian enlarged arms inquired with a slow tilt of the head.

"No way! The description said he got orange hair and a perpetual scowl! That guy's more like a cartoon character from a newspaper than the Strawberry we're aiming to pluck!" The bug-eyed Hanta, named Kawari, spoke in insidious shouts while snickering aloud between each sentence he said.

"He seems to know who we are, however," The six identical cloaks, named Gisei, whispered in an ominous unison. "That means he knows where our target is."

"I'd advise you comply, Soul Reaper," The tall wiry Hanta suggested, his name Takenoko, swaying like a reed in the wind while smiling thinly. "Otherwise, you may end up as dead as the people we just butchered."

"Not like it took much effort," The three-headed Hanta, a being named Sanju, shrugged his two other heads while speaking from the center one. "They just scattered like ants. Hope you ain't a coward, star-fish head."

Love grinned nervously, remarking under his breath, "I'm dealing with a real freak show here. Given I'm a hero, I guess that means I don't need to hold back against scum like this. Here goes!"

The moss-haired Hanta, named Raka, preemptively leaped up into the air. While this drew attention from a few of the others, the most focused were alarmed when Love drew back his sword and charged. In half the distance, the blade transformed in a burst of cobalt Reiatsu and became Tengumaru; the behemoth mallet tipped with spikes along its sides. Swinging around, the wiry Takenoko took the blow without blinking, his body bowing around it. The bug-eyed Hanta ducked, the six Gisei bodies deftly scattered, three-head Sanju impaled by one of the spikes with a gurgling squawk and Oni-

-remained unmoved by a loud gong of force Tengumaru made against his white cloak shrouded form.

"The Hell?!" Love exclaimed, watching the hooded giant looked over at the club that struck him and then back at Love.

"So...you're not Ichigo Kurosaki?" He asked dumbly, still unmoved from his position.

"You the big, tough, stupid one alright," Love grinned, waving a hand over his face, forming an ape shaped Hollow mask. Pulling back, he didn't realize Takenoko was still wrapped around the _kanabo_. Sanju staggered from the large perforation in his side, limping away just as Love pulled back his weapon fully. Swinging again, the Visored smashed his weapon into Oni's side.

This time, the Hanta raised his enormous right arm and blocked it, skidding a few meters to his left from the sheer Hollowfied Reiatsu that augmented the blow. Blood dripped from his behemoth limb, showing signs of one studded spike leaving a shallow injury and a bruised outline where he deflected the strike. This made Oni's glowing eyes from his hood burn like coals from a furnace, his body ebbing a menacing heat of spiritual pressure that quaked the ground and stirred the air.

"Bring me, Ichigo Kurosaki. Bring me, Ichigo Kurosaki!" He began to shout, his voice becoming louder with every passing second. Rearing back on his smaller legs, he'd throttle himself at an insane speed that Love foresaw with widened eyes behind the mask. Twisting on his left heel, he narrowly avoided a searing gale of force, tearing the street up and annihilating infrastructure for a mile behind him, taking structures and potential civilians in its obliterating path in an arched trench of molten metal, earth and ashen soil; the attack making the line of destruction unrecognizable from the rest of the city. Part of his mask was shaved off at the front and what didn't get out of the way had shallow grazes on his parka covered skin. Seeing his arm wafting steam, Oni gave another howl that blew back his star-shaped hair and whipped his coat wildly. "BRING ME ICHIGO KUROSAKI, SOUL REAPER!"

" **This guy is mad strong!** " Love hissed through his mask, raising his bat up behind him at an angle. " **I guess I should focus on getting rid of him first-** "

A sudden whipping motion yanked his Zanpakuto to the earth, out of his grip and surprising the masked Visored. Looking over his shoulder, he saw reed-bodied Takenoko had wrapped his left leg and arm several times -like paper- over his bulky weapon, planting his other two limbs into the earth like roots. He thinly smiled while his narrow eyes stared up mockingly at him, whispering out, "You should be aware of your other opponents, Soul Reaper."

In saying that, Love felt a looming shadow suddenly cross over him. Turning back he'd barely raise his own arms to brace for the human-sized knuckles hitting him directly. Again that intense heat wafted over him, this time fully, and screamed in the air as the whole of his being was launched back in another line of destructive power. Half of his mask was torn off, his shirt and parka tattered along with the lower sleeves of his arms and legs. Spewing blood and feeling his skin burned to lacerated, Love finally stopped half a mile back through sheer exertion, his burnt soles melted on stopping in the slag that was once housing. Heaving heavily, sweat and blood accumulated on exposed flesh, part of his hair burnt to singe with his exposed eye being a golden-black hue where his shades once covered.

" _This is bad! Just one punch and I feel like I got hit by a bomb. Desperate times like this remind me I'm the Hero and they the villains,_ " Love mused in his head, grinning as he spat out of his mouth, wiping his split lip and unmasking. Taking off his broken half of the shade, he tore off the rest of his shirt and parka, leaving him bare chested, injuries be damned. He could feel them coming, swiftly and without any fear, using their numbers to advance upon his position. Just as the shadows of the bug-eyed Kawari, the moss-haired Raka and the reed-bodied Takenoko, Love balled his fists with a fiery cobalt light emerging in his dark eyes. "It'll take more than this to put me down, you damned Sinners!"

Takenoko swung Love's Zanpakuto around, the weight of it unwieldy but effective enough to arch around at a swift speed. Using a deft use of Shunpo, Love grabbed Takenoko's face and applied a crushing grip on his skull. Without any way of bending from the momentum of the attack, the Hanta gurgled in shock as his whole head exploded under the unrelenting power of his fingers. Blood showered the air as Raka's singular pulsing eye glowed and unleashed an optic beam of Reishi towards Love's back. Ripping Takenoko's body around to hit the beam, he grabbed hold of his Zanpakuto and spun it around in a deft display of strength to bat away the body-incinerating laser.

Kawari leaped towards Love, believing himself to be fast enough to catch him unaware. The instant Love raised the kanabo he saw that the Soul Reaper donned the mysterious Hollow mask again. Still in flight, he shrieked as the kanabo pulverized him in a bloody upheaval of earth that destroyed the periphery street next to the molten trench Love was standing on. Lifting the weapon up, the Hollowfied Visored charged with ferocity towards Raka, seeing the singular eyed silent Hanta propel himself off the air to retreat back where his other comrades were.

" **You aren't getting away!** " Love bellowed in dual timbre, his club engulfed in fire and radiating an intense heat. Pulling back in mid-chase, Love Aikawa shouted monstrously in a follow-up swing that unleashed a searing fireball at high velocity. " **Hifuki no Koduchi!** "

Kawari turned back and unleashed another intense optic beam from his bulging eye towards the oncoming orb of flames. Only adding to the heat, his head of hair blew back to reveal nothing but a lit-up eyeball where a face would be, bubbling and popping from the heat. Peeling away with an obtuse skull, the rest of its body burned away from muscle to bone and became ashes in the wake of an immensely proportioned pillar of fire consumed him. Becoming a beacon of flames, Love didn't even take time to admire his handiwork, quickly rushing back to the scene where he last saw his enemies.

En route he saw the wounded, three-headed Hanta standing atop of one building. Clenching the large hole where Tengumaru's spike had pierced him, all three heads yelled out in fury. Doing so, each of their mouths produced an identical spike that whistled in the air at high speed. Halfway there, they split apart and became a wall of fiery needles that lit up the sky in a molten shower of piercing and burning frenzy.

Twisting his Shikai around, Love knocked away the projectiles in a loud clang, bending down in knee and left hand crouched stance. Kicking off the air, he shot across the air like a bullet, corkscrewing with immense propulsion that he left a sonic boom in his wake. Sanju blinked all three sets of eyes, their cheeks flapping back by the rush of wind just in time to see the kanabo whip around and smash from left to right each skull in a gory shower of explosive impact. The rest of the body sent flying away with the top of the wind-lapped roof, Love intoned, lowly, " **Four down**. **Eight to go.** "

"You've done well so far, Soul Reaper," Gisei spoke, all six of him appearing in a semi-circle on the ground, looking up at him from their concealed hoods of their cloaks. "But how long will that last?"

With Oni reappearing not far away, Love could only smirk behind his mask, " **As long as you guys exist, I'll always rise to the occasion! Now bring it, Hell scum!** "

* * *

Kensei Muguruma isn't a mature man. From the get-go of his career as a Captain of the 10th Division, the Soul Reaper wasn't good with communing with the locals of Soul Society and those that traversed the wilderness outside of the Seireitei's government. He grew up in a manner that reflected on his disciplining style, his inability to control childish people like Mashiro and his impatience in fighting Wonderweiss. Overall, if it wasn't for his strength and stoic countenance that held his attitude in check, he'd more than likely be seen in a lesser light by his peers prior to his Hollowfication.

Now, he was in the midst of a Battle Royal of his colleagues and over twenty Hanta. Among the masses were monstrosities of maimed and burnt human bodied flesh with crimson triangular heads and blood pouring from their gaping maws, Hellspawn. He already killed six, not including the beatings he's given the Hanta that kept challenging him one after the other. So far he hadn't needed Hollowfication, but his body could only carry him so far before he relied on that power.

Turning his gaze to look around, he saw Hiyori and Lisa battling against their own opponents. A released Arrancar-type Hanta, bearing similarities to a white bipedal Hyena, its clawed hands clashing against her serrated Zanpakuto's teeth. Lisa swung her large pole-handled spear to deflect a pair of wrecking balls attached to a chain locked around his muscular neck, his body wearing a tattered cloak and his face wearing a mummified bandage. His own Lieutenant was with him, fighting an endless series of squads that leaped up to butcher the pair without any reservation of tactics or solid strategy.

That was alright with him, he wasn't one for complex combat to begin with.

"Kensei!" Mashiro cried out, hovering in place with her arms wrapped around two aforementioned Hellspawn by the necks, choking the feral beasts nonchalantly. Wearing a sleeveless tank top, her iconic red scarf waving in the wind while her lime-green bangs were covered by her trademark white-rimmed dark lens goggles. Fingerless black gloves, orange-striped sweats with track running shoes affixed, she barely looked fazed by the level of enemies she's fought so far from his perception. "Where are the strong guys?! Kisuke said there'd be strong guys out here and I've just been getting these ugly doggies!"

"Do I look like I got time to find you an opponent?" Kensei inquired dryly, sensing an enemy streak up and above him. With a wave of his mask, he caught a meat-cleaver Zanpakuto from a disfigured faced Hanta. With his free hand, he plunged Tachikaze into his gut, tearing it upwards unleashing a wave of shredding wind that cut him into pieces. Unmasking in a smooth motion, he looked back and shook a fist with a pulsing vein on his knuckles. "Use your Reikaku for Soul King's sake! You're bound to find somebody!"

"Awwwww!" Mashiro whined, smashing the Hellspawn's heads hard enough for them to splinter and splurch of gray matter splashed over her gloves. Pulling her goggles down over her eyes the Visored adjusted her Reiatsu to filter into the dark lenses. From there, the HUD magnified images across the whole of the battlefield below. Between the disintegrating dead and the bloodied injured, the Hanta were losing numbers ever since the four of them had arrived. Two were matched evenly with Hiyori and Lisa, but it was only a matter of time till they overcame them. No one worth her time had arrived either-

"AH!" Mashiro pointed one out with a squeak. There a Hanta stood -or rather, hovered- above a particular building. He had black orbs circled around his neck like a prayer bead necklace but each were connected by a blood-rust chain link. The whole of his skull was burnt, enamored by a number of holes by spiked incisions, and his eyes had dozens of scars stretched from his closed eyes. Based on the HUD reading, his Reiatsu was being suppressed but the quality of it was much higher than the rest that were surrounding her vicinity. Wearing a ratty grey cloak -in contrast to the uniform white of his colleagues- his bandaged arms were hooked in a clasped formation with thumbs pressed against each other. Legs crossed over one and the other, the floating Hanta looked less keen on helping his comrades and more about meditating.

"Kensei! I found one!" She squeed with bouncing glee.

"Good! Now kick his ass!" The older Visored said, in the punching the face in on another Hanta who tried to ambush him.

"Okaaaaaaaaaaay!" Mashiro acknowledged, stretching her goggles up over her forehead once more. Masking herself, the Visored felt a rush of power flow through her body. Ever since that battle she had against Wonderweiss, she realized that she had overextended herself when fighting the Menos Grande and the giant creature that puked them out. Able to bear the mask the longest, that didn't change her battle time, and thus she became a bit more mindful that she couldn't be too wasteful with her power.

" _That means!_ " She thought, shooting off the air and explosively rushing towards the hovering Hanta below at breakneck speeds. " _I gotta hit him with all I got from the get-go_!"

" **MASHIRO KICK!** " The Visored screamed out, flipping her body at the last possible instance to slam the sole of her shoes into his face. She felt her feet connect with something solid that fizzled like popping air bubbles. The next thing she knew, her legs were crashing through the building and impacting the foundation below. The whole of the collapsing structure was sent scattering like a bomb, blasting through several faces of other buildings, creating a domino effect of destruction. Much to her surprise, there wasn't a body or a sign the Hanta was kicked.

"Nice kick," A voice proclaimed from above, making her turn around to look above her. She squeaked with shock as the cross-legged, meditating man had maintained his pose but was looking at him with sickly small pupils with red veins spreading across the whites of his eyes. Despite being upside down, his beads hadn't fallen from his neck and remain rooted to their spot, as well as the cloak around his body. "You were a bit too straightforward, but the execution was good. Had that hit me, that would've hurt a lot."

" **Don't you know?** " Mashiro began, bending her knees and bunching her arms, leaping up to double snap kick at his upside down body. " **No one likes a backseat driver! Especially when it comes to kicks!** "

Again, the sensation of almost hitting something tangible as he completely evaporated from her line of sight. He was, again, floating upright but a dozen meters away. He looked at her with an odd tilt of the head, blinking a bit with confusion. "Is that a... _Hollow_ mask? I thought only Soul Reapers were governing this _jureichi_. What are you supposed to be?"

" **I'm Mashiro Kuma of the Visoreds! And I'm going to pummel ya good!** " She shouted, leaping ahead at an accelerated pace, launching into a flurry of kicks and punches at the Hanta.

"Visored? I wasn't debriefed on you guys," He queried calmly, impossibly dodging her attacks without breaking his meditative pose. Swerving to and fro, he almost looked like a comical pilot of a flying saucer, minus the fictional vehicle. His eyes still bore at her movements, unable to process exactly what he was seeing. "So, I get this sensation that I'm feeling two Reiryoku. One is your natural state, that Soul Reaper power, right? The other one is the Hollow, overlapping the other. Is that all from you just putting on a mask?"

" **Yeah! And I'm the strongest when I put on a mask!** " Mashiro boasted, forward flipping and kicking off the air, spinning sideways to hit him at the head.

"That a fact?" The Hanta leaned his head back, feeling the force of her Reiatsu clash with his own, sparking and crackling chaotically in the air. Leaning back, he inhaled deeply through the nostrils. Bowing back, he pursed his lips and spat, shooting what looked like a bullet of liquid flame. To Mashiro's perspective, it was like a bullet moving like a comet, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

And she knew this by the way it sliced through the side of her mask, taking away part that hid her left eye, cutting a groove through the side of her face past the temple and extracting some hairs with the top of her ear. Had she not been Hollowfied, she would've felt searing pain overwhelm her as the projectile shot a clean hole through several buildings in a precise line.

"So if I take you out, then that means I've destroyed the strongest?" He asked calmly, staring blankly at her with his sickly eyes.

Not giving up, Mashiro pulled back her leg, priming it with a bountiful amount of Reiatsu. Coloring it an incandescent lime-green, she cried out as she swung her leg in a wide arch, " **MASHIRO CERO!** "

This feat alone made the Hanta break his calm countenance. Unclasping his fingers his hands thrust towards the enlarged wave of Reishi, his palms meeting the heated surface without budging. Twisting his wrists like fidgeting with combination locks, he furrowed his brow until he felt the flow's weak spots. Then, he opened his eyes wide and he swung his arms in a semi-circle, dispelling the wave completely.

But Mashiro had disappeared.

"Where-?" He began to utter, suddenly feeling an explosion of pain rock his head back and send him soaring up into the air. He couldn't speak, his jaw clenched tightly and blood spewing between his teeth. The realization she had gotten below him and launched upward with an uppercut couldn't be fully processed with the dizziness and sensation of pain rocking through his skull. By the time he could clearly blink, he saw the shadow of her feet slamming into his face, pushing him down to the earth with her momentum adding to it; resulting in an upheaval of massive proportions of urban landscape and infrastructure.

" **I did it! Victory for Mashiro!** " She shouted with simple happiness, doing a jig and pose for good measure in front of her bleeding enemy.

Then, an intense fiery aura lit the back of her head and shirt, forcing her to drop down and roll about to douse the flames. When she scrambled back up to her feet, she felt a shuddering pressure that warped the air and made the earth feel heavier. A golden-red pillar shot into the sky as the Hanta rose up in a weightless form of gravity defiance. Eyes were akin to a furnace, ebbing tongues around his sockets and his hair burned just the same. Three of the prayer beads seemed to turn into golden orbs with red branded text glowing the Kanji for "Shackle"; leaving four cold spheres to dangle in front of his neck over his collar bone. His cloak whipped around him as the Reiatsu coming off him continued to increase past the second.

"That _did_ hurt," He spoke calmly, a sickening grin spread across his face as he cracked his nose back into place with a free hand, wiping away the blood from where she kicked his face. "Guess I'll take a more active role in this fight. Wanted to wait this out, but you forced me out of my meditation. You brought this on yourself, Mashiro the Visored."

Mashiro felt her spine crawl and her body shake. Even Hollowfied, she couldn't help but shudder in fear at the enemy before her. She had never felt such sheer terror in any enemy before until now. She remained rooted in place, her heart thrumming loudly in her ears and her vision swam as the Hanta grinned in a twisted way at her.

" _Move! Move! Move! I have to get away!_ " Mashiro thought with fright, her golden iris contracting with the pupil. The moment she blinked was when his hand reached out and almost grabbed her face. The sensation of heat burning through the mask and drying her eyes, sweat vaporizing in audible hissing and the bubbling of her mask brought her out of her daze. Bending back upon panic-induced reflex, she launched a kick towards his head as she backflipped.

She didn't get far, her ankle grabbed easily and the searing feeling of cooked flesh tore its way through the numbness her Hollowfication bestowed her. She shrieked, long enough to feel her whole body engulfed in the same flame that tore through her shoe and sock. Yanked around while she was bathed in pain, a bludgeoning was felt into her abdomen, forcing the wind out of her and dousing the tongues that scorched her skin and ate away at her apparel. Her mask cracked with her body lurching in a bowing motion, just a moment before she was catapulted across the city block through a string of untouched structures.

Her mask crumbled as she lied in a world of hurt. Darkness crept into her vision as her awareness was beginning to sink as the sinister heat returned to the periphery of her senses. A hand as hot as a scalding brand woke her from unconsciousness, bringing out another pain filled cry as her neck was cooked under his touch. Yanked upright, he strangled her, her legs weakly kicking and her hands beat on his burning arm as he looked on with moderate intrigue.

"Impressive. To think that my Hell Shroud technique is so effective against a Hollowfied Soul Reaper. Truly remarkable," He complimented with a tooth-bared grin as he continued to squeeze her throat, burning and gripping it in tandem, watching her face contort with agony as asphyxiation merged with the sense of burning. "Don't take this personally. This is just a job and I hate having to kill unnecessarily. You just happened to strike first so it's only fair I oblige by killing you in the way I once died; slowly and horrifically."

The Hanta's impressive senses suddenly told him of a shift in the atmosphere. Another Reiatsu had just moved from where he last sensed it, but he couldn't tell where. As he looked away from the Visored he was immolating in his grip a faint whistling was heard coming at his head from the opposite direction. Just before it hit his temple, he craned his free arm around and caught it between two fingers. Looking to observe the weapon thrown at him, he saw it was a trench knife and had the resonating power of a Zanpakuto.

One that lit up incandescent light, making it a translucent sheen of white and blue. Even as he threw it back, a hand grabbed the weapon and the scorched scarf still holding around in tatters about Mashiro's neck. His eyes widened at the crew-cut, piercing enamored face of a man's steeled eyes full colored an aura of blue in his pupils. In a precise thrust, the Hanta could do nothing but raise his arms to defend against a howling eruption of Reishi that overtook him and sent him hurdling through the decimated battlefield into pyrotechnic halt.

"You bit off more than you could chew, again, idiot," Kensei chided softly, not bothering to look at the sorry state she was in. She was badly hurt and wished Hachigen or the barrier girl was around to heal her. But now wasn't the time to be picky. Setting her down near some debris, he propped her up and tore off his purple tank-top, divvying out pieces to bandage the worst of her wounds in as best First Aid he could supply. "I know you suck at healing but focus your Hollowfication on your wounds. You should be fine, so don't move, understood?"

"Kay...K-Kensei..." She weakly croaked out with a strained grin. "Knock'em...good, for me. A-Alright?"

"Not doing this for you, dumbass," The Visored retorted with a click of his tongue, rising up and looking over at the haze of mist being parted by his returning opponent. "I already took care of the rest. Twenty one of them, and not one of them were anything like this guy. He must have been waiting for us to clean house, the way he was isolated. Hiyori and Lisa should be almost wrapped up, but I won't need them."

The scuffed Hanta, marred by some burns that had ate its way past his Hell Shroud, stared with perplexity at the Visored that had stopped him from finishing off the girl. While he definitely seemed like he was in a tier above her in terms of combat experience, and expertise, he only seemed slightly stronger than her in her Hollowfied state. He hadn't Hollowify like she did; was he going to have a negligible increase or a major boost?

A toss of the knife in the air and land spinning by the ring of the handle, Kensei Muguruma spoke a phrase that made the Hanta's eyes widen with both haunting recollection and instant alarm.

" **Bankai**."

The ground shook and the heavens became a host of a tantamount whirlwind. Spiraling up into the air like a tornado, the ravaged landscape was picked up in the force nature cast by the release of Reiatsu Kensei was releasing. The Hanta looked on with awe and extreme caution at the change transpiring through his acute senses. As the gale twisted from its tornado form, it became a roaring pressure wave that ebbed off the body of bare-chested Kensei. His arms were endowed in iron bands, running up to wear a pair of knuckle blades, an arching hoop of similar bands waved at an angle over his head attached by each shoulder and a belt bore a pair of bands waving behind his lower back as well.

" **Tekken Tachikaze!** " He bellowed loudly, his body exuding a tremendous amount of wind-birthed Reiatsu.

The Hanta smiled, knowing the time to hesitate was over. Clapping his hands, he brought forth a fiery ring between his palms and intoned beneath his breath, "First Ring, **Per Ignis Iudicium!** "

Thrusting the ring forward, it instantaneously became a circling vortex of golden-red fire aiming to subsume everything it touched into its vortex and burned within its liquid hot epicenter and blasted away on its barest of touch. When it reached Kensei, a deafening pop followed by a rupturing explosion of azure-colored wind and Reishi blew back the whole of the fiery tornado that was summoned. The Hanta felt the force travel all the way back to his hands, snapping the wrists back and rocking him on his heels, snuffing the fire covering his whole body.

Stumbling in place, he looked on and gasped. Kensei had a single hand outstretched, the blade hissing with steam from use. Apart from the scorched concrete and miscellaneous asphalt lying about, the flames didn't get past him. All he did was punch with the knuckle-blade and entirety of his spell was ripped asunder. It was unthinkable that a Soul Reaper, even with a Bankai could rend one of his _Rings_ completely inert.

"Normally, I don't care who I kill, but you're definitely something else," The Hanta proclaimed, adjusting his posture to stand upright and stare his sickly small eyes. "What's your name, Soul Reaper?"

"I'm Kensei Muguruma, and I'm the man who's going to kill you," He retorted in an even, deliberately threatening manner.

"Kensei Muguruma. I'll remember that name, when I've turn your bones to ash," The Hanta chuckled, grabbing the four cold orbs on his neck, gripping them till they were popping beneath his palm. Once they became inflamed with golden fire, the crimson text lighting up, they detached from each other and slid off his neck. His cloak drooped and fell to the earth, now unleashing an ungodly wellspring of Reiatsu from his core; in turn creating a sizable inferno that surrounded his body and shot straight towards the sky while continuously roaring around his muscular, scarred and burnt frame. With his hair standing upright of golden flame and his eyes now a smoldering burgundy, the man laughed out loud and dropped to a fighting stance with one fist outstretched and the other hand pulled back with a thumb-drawn flat palm. "I am Vindicator, the servant of Ryuken Junta! The fire of hatred and vengeance stokes the coals of bigotry in my heart and roars in the furnace of my soul! A Soul Reaper took my life, ending it in a horrific manner and left me feeling nothing but contempt; now you shall take the place of my killer, Kensei Muguruma!"

* * *

Shinji was extremely regretful for coming to the barbecue. Ever since his scuffle with that Soul Hunter he had a feeling things weren't going to be a cake walk. If just the opposition to Hell was that strong one would reason their threat was even greater. Sure enough, after cutting a path through the lower tier goons sent by whatever dark lord was after Ichigo, a cut above the rest showed up. Having been occupied with his own enemies he left it up to Rose to contend with the menace.

Clearly, judging by his current condition, that was a mistake.

"Why the despondent look, darling?" A voice sweet as honey and refined like wine entranced his ears. A ruby pair of lips smiled delightfully, eyes greener than jade and hair of a bright rose hue swirling in the air thanks to the brisk gusts of wind. While she bore a loosely fit cloak, her hourglass curvy frame was enamored with a loosely fit purple bra and her legs covered by a flowing liquid silk skirt of deep green. A black pole handled, silver forked trident lay in her right hand while a haunting figure stood hauntingly still by her leaning left arm. The frill-collared white dress shirt and black dress coat matching black slacks to dress shoes was common for Visored named Rose; now a bewitched servant of this Hanta. She grinned mockingly at him as she rubbed Rose's shoulder without him waking from the daze he was in. "Aren't you happy for him? I'll take good care of this man, so long as he does as I tell him. Why not do the same?"

If it wasn't for the fact that he had resilient composure thanks to his Zanpakuto training, he knew he would fall prey to her wiles. This was the Hanta, named Siren, who was doing battle with his colleague not but a few minutes ago. He had heard the sounds of battle, felt his Reiatsu go strong as they contested against one another. It wasn't until he had finished the last of the Hellspawn that he felt his Reiatsu soften and the battle sounds cease altogether. When he turned to observe, he was almost struck by Kinshara, now held in a readied golden corded loop in his right hand while the rest of his body looked frighteningly docile.

" _This_ Siren _has a power fitting to her code name_. _Given she wasn't able to swoon him into her control from the start means there's either a condition that must be met or it has a delayed reaction to her casting the spell. If its the latter, I'm screwed since I won't know when she's begun hypnotizing me. If its the prior, maybe I can find out that condition before she tries it on me_ ," Shinji assesses as he regards her with a readied weapon and a pair of narrowed eyes at her.

"Rose, be a dear and remove this eyesore for me," Siren ordered with a soothing voice, breathing life in the dulled blonde man's eyes.

" **Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Shi** ," Rose murmured, his body moving on command in a swift contraction of his right arm, hurdling the whip in a diagonal zigzag homing attack towards Shinji. Flicking his left hand's forefinger and thumb against it, he created a radical piano tune akin to a pianist stroking keys from low note to high note across the board; doing so created a warping illusion of dozens of erratic golden-tipped roses aiming to impale Shinji from many angles. " **Rirakaze**!"

" **Hado #1** ," Shinji countered, channeling a conduit of blue light across his sword's edge and swinging it at the horde of incoming attacks. " **Sho!** "

Upon the Hado's release, a large kickback of force struck the sound crafted illusions and bounced the lancing whip's edge. The moment it was derailed he used Flash Step, bypassing the pair and appearing behind them with his back to them. As Siren turned, Rose was a moment slower, receiving a pommel to the back of his skull; sending him throttling to the ground by the throttling strike. Raising a free hand at Siren, he intoned an incantation under his breath and unleashed a Sokatsui at point blank, forcing her to defend against the Kido's wide wave of cobalt flames with the staff of her trident.

"That was smart, to go after your friend from the start," Siren complimented, unfazed by the attack due to superior defense, the wafting steam ebbing off her weapon and form proving that much to be true. "But, even if you do so, you're no match for my charms or strength."

"I wonder about that," Shinji intoned, putting up a bravado with a Cheshire grin and angling his blade from the hip while keeping his spare hand ready at the side. "You seem like the kind of woman whose both opportunistic and lazy. You'd rather let others get your hands dirty so you don't have to put in the effort. The fact you tried to hypnotize my friend instead of killing him and then using him to attack me proves that much."

"Darling," The Hanta chuckled, her voice releasing a honeyed melody while her trident crackled with electrical snaps and pops of azure hue. "Just because I can cut you up and fillet you, doesn't mean I want to. I rather set you free from the bonds of your own will than let you suffer another day. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Spinning the spear variant in a circle, she began to hum a tune that struck an odd chord within him. He knew right away that she was beginning her ritual to subdue his spirit. Placing a hand over his face, he slammed his Pharaoh Hollow mask over his head, his body releasing an immense pressure wave that surprised the Hanta enough for her to skip a beat. It was all the opening he needed, using Shunpo to appear behind her and over the shoulder slash towards her neck.

Bowing her head forward, the blade released a shearing sound over her red-mane, cutting through a few hairs that whipped from her scalp. Twisting on her heels, she spun her trident around, unleashing a whirlwind of spiraling parries against his blade. Again, her voice returned to sing sweet nothings to his ears; a haunting chorus entering the front of his thoughts.

" _Sliding Serpent, coiling comfort. Let my embrace, take away the hurt. Lower your sword, become part of my horde. I am your Queen, and you will love me._ "

Shinji was desperate to fight off this wave of dizziness, a thick fog entering his head and sluggishness in his motions. Her song was nothing but a sweet aroma to his senses, his soul comforted and his body becoming entangled in a web of drugged bliss. Even with his Hollowfication, he found himself unable to keep up his assault, his grip becoming numb on the blade and his stance completely at her whim.

Just like Rose, he had become bewitched by this dangerous enemy.

"Ahhhh, that's more like it," Siren purred, reaching out to brush her hand against Shinji's now emotionless face. "My voice has the power to lure in even those aware of my allure. Unless you're quite frankly dead inside, you'd never be able to resist me. Your friend couldn't, so why should you?"

Realizing he hadn't returned, Siren sighed and gave a shrill whistle over her shoulder. An explosion of debris followed by Rose's person returning in a Flash Step next to her, she grinned with affirmation, "Excellent. Now that the two of you are here, we can resume the search for Ichigo Kurosaki. Oh, if only his Reiatsu wasn't subdued I could find him myself but without the Hellspawn or any Fiends at my beck and call, I can only do so much. Help a girl, won't you dears?"

Rose complied, and Shinji couldn't control his own actions that flowed with the accord of her voice. He was aware within his mind, shouting inwardly to attack her while her back was turned but he just numbly followed her orders. He was a puppet now, and his body yearned to follow her every whim, even if his own inner strength denied her the satisfaction of being completely at her beck and call.

The haze of his thoughts, however, stirred something inside. A tickling sensation in the back of his skull followed by the sight of the outside world being cut off. He didn't know if he was completely cut off from the conscious world or something else interfered, but a sudden change of scenery replaced the dark fog that surrounded him. Eyes widened as he looked around, the sound of old music playing from a record surfaced from his room. He was standing in his old quarters in the 5th Division!

"This place...why am I remembering something like this-?" He began to question, acutely aware that he wasn't actually in the past but reliving it somehow. A sudden slamming of the door caused him to jump with surprise. Turning to look over his shoulder and a familiar face peered in. He wondered what she was doing here, but the moment her voice piqued, the inflection was different and her appearance itself was kept more to the style of her station. Deep lavender hair, tied by a yellow ribbon into a ponytail that was braided neatly down to the middle of her back her oval face complemented by iconic hazel eyes, small hands resting as knuckles on her hips while she furrowed her brows at him with a visible pout.

" _I know you!_ " Shinji realized as the memory piqued in his thoughts. " _You're...!_ "

Shinji was wrenched from his unconscious reverie when something throttled his immediate surroundings.

"Who are you?" Siren asked, her path blocked by an unknown figure standing in the sky apart from her at the same altitude. It was covered in a drab cloak of dark green hue, frayed on its edges and hood covering the head. Apart from the stature being average in height, she couldn't discern anything; the Reiatsu was completely concealed, making the maverick's approach undetected.

"Are you looking for Ichigo?" A voice pierced the veil of the hood, his senses too muffled for him to tell exactly anything about the figure other than it spoke of the Substitute informally. Whoever this person was, it knew him, at least in some capacity.

"If I am, what of it?" The Hanta cocked her neck to the side, grinning with a bemused expression. "Don't tell me you're here to stop me."

"And if I am?" The hooded figure asked coyly back. "What will you do to stop me?"

Siren smiled thinly, eyes drawn into a narrowed glare, her aura becoming a vibrant electrical crescendo of sparking light. As her trident thrummed with absorbed Reiatsu, she let loose a melodious call, "Remove that obstacle!"

Shinji, once again against his will, was brought into the fold on her command. While Shinji lanced out his Zanpakuto, his body instinctively rushed to her side with sword drawn back to slash at the opponent from its left. To his surprise a fair-skinned hand of lithe proportion whipped out of the cloak, catching it in the palm and absorbing the bite of his cutting stroke in the palm. Nothing but sparks and a wobbling clang resounded from contact of the attack. Had his body worked properly, he'd have displayed a look of surprise instead of a robotic deadpan stare.

As Rose's Kinshara sinuously sought out to pierce its quarry, the cloaked antagonist sidestepped the golden whip and grabbed it as well. Without hesitation, the pair were pulled with a frightening amount of force, smashed into a rising knee and swinging elbow respectively. Pain throbbed in both's being, the fogginess clearing slightly from the outward stimuli's interference.

Despite both being dealt handily in the initial encounter, Siren thrust her trident at her foe, crying out, "Not bad! Have a taste of this! **Noctis Lucis Mare!** "

Without moving, the unknown warrior was struck by a swift bolt of lightning. A crackling crescendo of snapping volts of Reishi flowed to and fro, burning through the cloak's exterior to sear to the source of the target. As Siren cackled, her laughter was cut short at the sight of the lack of any sound of agony from the expected pain of her strike. Instead, it was silence, and the figure's reveal made her eyes widen with surprise.

As violet lightning revolved around the form, one could see a sea of turquoise waving in animation from the energy coursing around her frame. No longer was she dressed in rags from an infant stretched cloak, the voluptuous entity of the past now wore a black furred over white uniform; said fur was in rings that wrapped around the collar, elbow, wrists, thighs and ankles. A toned abdomen was left exposed in the light of purple-white electricity, armored shins from boots up to knee plates from a pair of gauntlets and pauldrons added a more sophisticated soldier's effects. The strangest thing about the paint-streaked visage was the lack of any scar on the mask, showing no sign of trauma at all from her somber past eons ago. The only thing left to reaffirm her connection to her time of the long past was a prominent black printed 3 left on her uncovered back, currently facing away from her enemies but would be made unknown soon.

"It seems, like Cero or Kido, this attack has no capability of harming me," The former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, solemnly declared. Her steely grey eyes sparked green and the rest of her body shimmered, absorbing the tangible electrical currents of Reishi. Once it was completely erased, she pointed a single index finger from her right hand at Siren, causing the Hanta to hitch her breath. " **Rayo Verde!** "

In a thunderclap of force, an even stronger bolt of lightning forked and spread out across the sky, hitting Siren's raised trident and shocking the pair of entranced Visoreds. Crying out in pain, the pair felt themselves rattled but more clear-headed thanks to the attack. As smoke and steam rose off their frames, they looked to Siren at being the focal point of the returned attack. She herself looked infuriated, her eyes wide and her smile turned into a bared snarl, her knuckles turned red and bled from the brunt of the Arrancar's attack.

"You! You dare spill MY blood?! No-No-No-NO! You've committed blasphemy against your Queen!"

"But you look nothing like Miss Harribel," Nel replied with owlish blinks.

This infuriated the Hanta even more as her voice turned from a soothing call to a shrill scream. All the more compelling, the pair went from fear to lowly submission as the sound her vocal chords exuded was undeniable superiority. As she spoke, she radiated an aura of thick ozone in scent while lightning cascaded around her, trident held upright and sending forking currents throughout the heavens that they all stood upon. Glaring daggers with her dilated pupils, Siren pointed her incandescently glowing weapon at the stoic Nelliel as she issued out her command.

" _Submit, ye cretin, thou worth is for naught! Crawl hither and tither thou belly, thine breath not worth lapsing on your betters. Thou shalt feel terror, guilt, shame and rejoice for being in thou Queen's shadow. Kneel, bow and prostrate thyself before-!_ "

As she shouted, Nelliel slowly reached a hand up to grasp a pink-threaded Zanpakuto sheathed on her left hip. Clicking it free from the scabbard, she took a few stalwart steps, effortlessly passing through the damaging tendrils of her weapon's Reiatsu. Then, in a blink, she reappeared to her left unguarded flank, sword drawn and an arc of emerald following the path of her sword's unsheathed stroke. A gaping wound spewed outward, blood jettisoned with innards while the Hanta choked and gawked at Nelliel's ruthless stroke.

"H-How...did I...lose?!" Siren choked, her body barely held together,. While she barely kept herself in the air, the other Visoreds looked on with morbid intrigue at Nelliel's italic sigil inscribed back for an answer.

"Your words influence the hearts of those that heard it, be it man or beast. Even a Hollow would be motivated to follow your words to the best of its ability. However," She turned, flinging the blood away from her sword, sheathing it neatly back as the light escaped Siren's eyes. "From the moment I was born, my heart was my own and would not be swayed by any single person without my choosing. You could not tempt me even if you tried for a thousand years, Hanta. Blame the aspect of death that bore my existence as an Arrancar; along with your pitiful end your mortal life had gotten you into Hell."

With the finishing click of her blade meeting the sheathe, Siren's body fell, turning to ash and disappearing before hitting the earth below.

This battle was over.

* * *

Throughout the renewed engagement, the pair swiftly lured Malice away from Ichigo's house and overall neighborhood. Instead they battled out near the park, where destruction was far more tolerated and easier to repair if they made it through this engagement. Senna, fueled by _Resolve_ , brought every attack she could muster against Malice without losing control of maneuvering away from his counters. Uryu, on the other hand, landed nary a few shallow cuts on the man's arms.

" _How curious,"_ Uryu thought, realizing that the Hanta didn't dispel his blade at any point even when he did attack; opting to physically swing at him instead with the injured arms. With a bout of Hirenkyaku, he appeared by a crouched Senna and muttered discreetly to her, "I think I have an idea how to stop him."

"Like how? Every one of your attacks revolves around Reishi; not even my Kido Gun has any affect upon him while he can still discharge his shockwaves!" Senna exclaimed as Malice cracked his neck around, finding the dance with the Quincy and Senna interesting and invigorating. She shuddered as the look in his eyes told her he was going to enjoy killing them slowly.

"His whole body is a weak point. He maintains his own Reiatsu despite how he can negate spirit particles around him. If we are able to counter attack him enough to draw off his attention, we can lay down a powerful one hit strike, but it has to be fast," Uryu said, while keeping an eye on Malice as the Hanta's eyes watched them carefully.

"I guess that makes sense," Senna replied, wondering why the thought never crossed her mind.

Uryu brandished his Seele Schneider, keeping a fencing posture with a steeled gaze aimed at their opponent, "Get ready."

Malice raised a hand, cracking the knuckles individually to complement his malicious grin, "Come on! I want you to _try_ to kill me! No one can! Especially that girl with you!"

Senna growled, raising her Spiritual Pressure up dramatically, yelling out at him, "Shut it, Malice! You die today!"

Malice beckoned with his hand, saying, "Bring it."

"Let's go," Uryu said, using Hirenkyaku, appearing next to Malice at his left side with his hand held next to him, striking out a diagonal slash, meeting a rapid wrist block, drawing a small cut from him seeing that his sword was unhindered from the blow. While Malice's other hand turned to snap his finger at Uryu, a low chanted, "Byakurai!" was uttered before a large pale lightning bolt was fired from Senna's gun, to which Malice countered by raising his palm up, catching the Kido in his hand, skidding across the ground while his hand appeared to be scalded.

"That's it," Uryu muttered, striking out at him again and again, repeatedly attacking his enemy, forcing Malice on the defensive. The Hanta guarded against the blue blade with his hands and arms, unable to strike back without being open up to another strike by Senna. Uryu saw that his blade started to feel just about right, and knowing the Spiritual Pressure his enemy had, he should've given him plenty of energy for what he was about to do next.

Malice finally grabbed for Uryu's blade, ignoring the fact it was hurting him immensely, choosing to disarm his enemy over any consequence holding the Quincy weapon would have. Senna took that opportunity to intercept his hand, slashing with a whirling air-based Reiatsu around it, cutting into his wrist, causing him to growl and push away the blue blade away so he could attack Senna.

Senna drew her Kido gun, and chanted, "Sokatsui!" A large blast of blue energy fired from her gun, enveloping part of Malice before he leapt out of the blast.

"DAMN YOU, WITCH!" He yelled at her, most of his body steaming from the attack and looked like he was in real pain.

Uryu used Hirenkyaku, was merely ten feet behind him, as he pulled his brightly glowing Seele Schneider back into the bow, and the arrow expanded into twice its normal length and width, "Thank you for your Spiritual Power, Hanta. It gives me all the penetration power I need to have it cut you through."

Malice turned around roaring out as he clapped his hands towards him, sending a huge shockwave after him, blowing away the park's sidewalk, trees and hillside in a shrieking wave. Uryu however appeared behind him again, firing off his arrow and made its way home through his left shoulder, aiming for his Soul chain to which his guess was. A large amount of blood left the wound, and Malice stood motionless as he gasped, falling to his knees before bowing his head and becoming still.

Senna appeared next to Uryu with Shunpo, taking a moment's respite to regain her breath. "Did we get him?"

After a long drawn out silence, they suddenly both gasp to hear the sound of a laugh. A menacing laugh. Malice stood back up, heavily at first, showing that the arrow did indeed wound him, but it seemed it aroused him in a state of madness. He reached around and pulled the arrow from his back before smashing it in his hands, causing it to defuse and fall uselessly onto the ground.

"I-Impossible! He should be dead after a wound like that!" Uryu exclaimed, activating Ginrei Kojaku and holding it upright while in shock that his enemy hadn't been felled by his perfect shot.

"Oh what fun this is! HAHAHAHAHA! I haven't sported a wound this big in decades!" He padded his chest over where the hole was, making a grotesque splashing sound, not even in the least bit bothered by it.

Senna widened her eyes, backing up slightly, feeling as if she awakened a beast much larger than she thought it was. Like attacking a bear cub, instead finding out your blindness caused you to find out it was a full grown grizzly.

" _I can't beat this! This…this is impossible! I-I can't…"_ She thought with a quivering pair of lips, her knees buckling and her shoulders shaking. What shook her from her shock was Uryu's next course of action.

"Then I guess I should aim for your head next time," Uryu drew back the bow, already armed with another Seele Schneider. Firing at him rapidly, sending the glowing arrow towards him only to be easily avoided by the Hanta.

"To give my respect to such worthy opponents for making me feel alive again, I shall grant you the honor of drawing my sword to extinguish your pathetic lives," Malice announced, reaching with his right hand, wrapping his thumb and fore finger to unlatch the sword from its sheathe, slowly drawing it out of his scabbard with a loud grinding sound.

"U-Uryu! His sword! He's-!" She was about to say until he fired off another arrow, sending another blue arrow to which was missed and hit another spot past the Hanta, now fully drawn out and held firmly in his right hand. The hilt itself was made out of someone's bones. Splintered apart then welded together onto a piece of metal with the pommel having a large tooth pointing down and curving in the opposite direction as the edge of the blade. The edge was a dull bone white which appeared to be a hybrid of bone splinters and metal, making the edge ragged and saw-like in appearance.

"What about it?" Uryu asked curiously, but in a way uncaring of what danger it posed to them, as he let loose another two arrows, these two almost looked like he wasn't even paying attention to what he was firing at.

"He's never unsheathed his sword before! Not even when I or another Seer fought him! I don't know what he can do with his sword!" Her hands were still vibrating, feeling as if her body could fall apart any moment at the thought of being cut by that macabre weapon.

"Then I guess we'll find out then, won't we?" Uryu remarked with a confident smirk, using Hirenkyaku, appearing behind Malice, and firing off two more arrows past him, to which he laughed at him at the incredulous effort he put into his bow.

"What's the matter? Not able to hit me with that bow as you used to?" Malice mocked him, pointing his sword at him before he saw Uryu stare impassively at him. He raised his eyebrows incredulously, about to bark at him why the look when he saw a large pentagram rune appear underneath him, forming from all of his Seele Schneider arrows in the ground, forming angle focal points for the rune.

"What is this SHIT?! Another technique of yours? A prison?" He asked with a form of humor on his face, as if this technique was any lesser than the one that pierced his shoulder a minute ago. He then tried to move, to crush that pansy-boy for wearing such a wimp outfit, almost similar to a human dress in Malice's eyes. Though however, he couldn't move, feeling his legs rooted at what appeared the center of the Pentagram.

"Just figured out you can't move huh? You're in the center of a Pentagram that my Seele Schneider arrows formed. While you may disperse and distort spiritual particles and power with your techniques, you still exude Spiritual Pressure from your body. My Seele Schneider, you see, are modified to absorb spirit energy from the air, even by-product energy coming off of powerful opponents, and then forming together into a mighty barrier. Then, that barrier contains opponents within the center of it," The Quincy calmly explained, reaching his free hand to fetch a silver canister within his jacket pocket, revealing the Ginto that he had been waiting to use for this opportunity.

Malice growled, his body vibrating from exertion in an effort to move, howling out with fury, "You tricked me! That stupid archery stunts were just setting up for this!"

"For someone as powerful as you, you're certainly dense," Uryu deadpanned, making the Hanta pulsate throbbing veins in anger.

Senna stared in awe at how composed Uryu was in the face of an enemy as strong as Malice. She admired his dedication to defeating his foes, regardless of the odds, and stood fearless in front of them whether he could win or not. He reminded her of Ichigo, she realized, subtly feeling her cheeks warm positively at the serene and collected Quincy, not bearing so much ill will to him as she did before.

"Senna!" Uryu shouted, making Malice twitch with uncertainty, as he strained to look over at the Soul Hunter behind him, making her start as well, flustered at his shout to her name.

"No matter what happens from here on out, I want you to protect Ichigo with your life! If you truly care for him like you say, prove it now!" He then dropped the Ginto onto the Seele Schnider nearest to him. The effects were magnificent, as all five swords blazing from Spiritual Power towards the center, forming into one amazing blast. A damning scream was heard as an enormous pillar of azure flame surrounded their enemy and fired up into the sky, lighting up the heavens, bearing witness to their battle for miles around.

But it was in that scream, that the flames were dispersed and the entirety of the ritual was abruptly halted. A dome of erratic airwaves sliced through the earth, blowing them back and indenting the ground while pummeling the pair by the abnormal Reiatsu being released by the man. The blue light was erased, and was replaced by the tumultuous gale that replaced the park with a mile wide crater.

"Even his voice releases these shockwaves?!" She exclaimed with shock, shakily rising back to her feet along with the dirtied Uryu, the latter looked just as surprised that the man could break free of his attack.

"Is that it? That your _big finish_ , human?" Malice asked with a murderous gleam in his eyes, his bared teeth showing he was ready for payback. I'll enjoy peeling your flesh off for that little stunt you pulled!"

Uryu grimaced, as he was caught in the wake of the blast and was underneath some rubble in the epicenter of the deep hole that Malice created from the shock wave, extending to his footing and down into the sewers underneath the road bordering the park. Uryu was dirtied and wet, as well as a bloody gash that was formed onto his forehead, coughing from the large pieces of the road that had wedged him onto the pipe was bent under him.

Raising his sword, he was denied a swing by a raw shot yellow shot of Spiritual Energy, causing a thunderous noise that lit up the crater that Malice created momentarily of yellow light. However, the steam did nothing but create a painful effect that did nothing but deter his movement towards the Quincy Rolling his neck around in painfully sounding cracks, he reared around and leaping out of the hole, appearing mere meters in front of Senna; the latter of which rapidly retreated upon his movement towards her.

He tapped the backside of his sword on his right shoulder, still sporting a scalded burn from the Kido cast onto his hand which he blocked earlier, peeling what little normal skin was on his hand. He carried a manic look in his eye as his smile posed a hungry look towards his prey.

He pointed his sword towards Senna, speaking with a glowing crimson-gold from his eye sockets, "Well then, Senna. Shall we dance? We've never had a chance to clash swords anyways properly, right? It would be only fair for you to do the same to me after I let you take so many hits from you people."

Senna bit down on her lip, glaring at him full on. She raised her Spiritual Pressure until it blazed around her brilliantly, casting an orange halo around herself as she raised her sword, barking back, "You want to see my sword's power? Then I'll give it to you!"

Meanwhile, in Ichigo's backyard, Ichigo docile form was still in a deep 'sleep'. However, his eyes twitched, and a semblance of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Senna," he said quietly, as Senna began to start the real fight against a foe to protect the one thing she cherished most.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry about the wait everyone. This was needlessly delayed but regardless I practically rewrote (except for a bit of editing for the last section here) everything about the Hanta, Hellspawn and the like fighting the Visoreds. I wanted to give some actual stakes and suspense unlike the quirky mooks I made previously. This not only shows the human populace is *gasp* NOT SAFE but that Karakura Town's defenders can't (always) beat the enemy without suffering some kind of damage or consequence.

PS. The title was inspired off the mid-1990's Sagas of Spiderman comics called "Total Carnage" or "Total Cloneage" (don't quote me on the latter one, I just 'think' that's what it was called)


	9. The Hero's Twilight

**"I rise like the flames of the inferno. Like a furnace with no end of coal, my passion cannot be snuffed and my heart beats like thrumming embers. I am the Phoenix, devouring my ashes as I become reborn in new tongues of the Sun. Prepare your prayers for I'll scorch you to your maker!"**

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE**

 **THE**

 **HERO'S**

 **TWILIGHT**

* * *

Tatsuki Arisawa had gotten into her Karate Gi, and was about to start her practice for the upcoming tournament being held within the coming Winter. However, her plans changed, as she was gazing at the sight of the near demolished school. She was awestruck at how much trouble could occur after nearly 2 years of peace since that _incident_ with Ichigo's Soul Reaper business. She thought he moved on, regardless of how lately he's been restless and distracted, as if gazing off in the horizon expecting something to appear when there was nothing to begin with. Then, on this very afternoon, she stumbled upon a destroyed gym she was going to practice at.

The official report left at the site was that the entire gymnasium was "spontaneously combusted" from an unknown source. The ground itself was already glassed from whatever super heat had incinerated her school's gymnasium.

But as Tatsuki bypassed the barrier of caution tape, she noticed faint presences lingering around the rubble. It felt like the feeling she was put through when the weird masked freaks killed all those people in the park, and again when that guy called Aizen almost killed her along with her friends. She didn't particularly recognize the presences at all, save one; Ichigo's presence permeated strongly with the husk of what was her gym.

Investigating further, she saw a telephone pole that was connected to the school's main building had a whipping tattered cloth; of the style and hue that reminded her of Uryu's fashion sense. Having scaled up with a margin of difficulty she retrieved the fabric to confirm her suspicions. Dropping down, the agile top tier martial artist rolled with the drop and rose up to rub the material between her fingers.

While she had sensed similar signatures of people's presences surrounding the school, everything looked put back to its proper place. Either it was a rushed patch-up job or nothing but the building was out of place. Was there a fight that she didn't know about?

She growled as she stomped away from the closed school. "IDIOT! Where am I supposed to practice if he causes trouble just when I don't need it?"

She had a piece of her mind to go straight to Ichigo's house and wring his neck for causing this, regardless if he was the culprit in it or not. Quite frankly, she didn't give a damn.

"Hey! Taaaaaaatsukiiiiiii!~" Came an all too familiar voice from another direction, halting her impending march to the Kurosaki home.

"K-Keigo?" She remarked with a jump, recognizing her classmate anywhere. She saw him running to her in a melodramatic fashion, tears abundantly flowing like waterfalls from his eyes, his eyes shut tight enough to form a seal from his vision, whipping his arms and legs in his usual Keigo fashion. Once he leaped towards her bodily she responded as Tatsuki would in any situation a crazed boy would leap at her:

By planting a foot into the incoming boy's face, and slamming him down on the ground.

"OWIE! Tatsuki-why?!" He cried out, holding his face and squirming on the ground, his tears gathered into a wet puddle around his head.

"Tch! You should've known better than jump at me like that. Even after the years of knowing me, you still do it. Unbelievable!" She griped, caressing her temples. It was one thing to be pissed at Ichigo for public property destruction, but she had to deal with the theatrical boy as well.

"I see your frustration being vented on poor Keigo, Miss Aisawa," Mizuiro said casually, walking towards her from the direction Keigo had run from. "Not that I blame you, charging at you the way he did. I'd probably react in a similar fashion if he got too familiar with me too."

"Hey! I thought you were on my side, Mizuiro!" Keigo wailed at him, standing up abruptly and waving his arms at him as he got within inches of his face.

"What're you guys doing here?" Tatsuki asked curiously, knowing that a formal announcement was given over both phone lines and the E-Mails, but she wasn't told of the damage done directly the gym. Hence her frustration or discouragement of learning its fate when she arrived.

"We came because we thought to check out the school. It seemed strange that the school was suddenly cancelled on the eve of Finals approaching within a month or two," Mizuiro said casually, but with a serious note as he turned his head towards the large rubble heap where the gym use to stand.

"But you think it was more than that?" Tatsuki asked, crossing her arms. Of those in her friend circle, Mizuiro was the smartest of the group and had shown that when Karakura Town was assailed by the monster, Aizen. He was honestly the reason they lasted as long as they did before Ichigo arrived, so she valued his input if only because he understood the stakes in a more mature manner than Keigo or Chizuru.

"Well, with the things we know about this town, this gym probably didn't "Spontaneously Combust," like they're trying to explain to the student body. This looks more of an eruption that came from," Mizuiro pointed to the top where the roof of the gym used to be, "up above, and fired skywards as well."

"What kind of explosion was that?" Keigo asked once he recovered, knowing the business they were speaking of was serious.

"It seems to be some kind of energy that doesn't follow the rules of physics. It's probably related to the stuff we saw two years ago, what with freaky guy who shrugged off explosions and falling debris, Aizen?" Mizuiro cupped his chin in thought, looking at the ruined building analytically, but not too seriously, his stance still as casual as always.

"It…feels familiar," Tatsuki said as she approached the edge of the rubble where the wall of the gym used to be. Keigo became flabbergasted at what he knew she was about to do, but Mizuiro, held him back with a hand while raising a finger to his lips, ushering him to be quiet. Tatsuki continued her tantalizingly slow walk, memories began to flash in her mind as the energy became almost eerily familiar.

" _Orihime!" She felt herself yelling as she was flung helplessly around by the practically invisible hollow, to soon be Orihime's horror, her own brother. Tatsuki felt her body cut in her shoulder from a long talon of the Hollow, feeling helpless, pathetic, scared. Not for all her strength in Martial Arts she could stop this threat._

 _She then felt that moment where she flung herself at the possessed students, quickly dispatching them with swift kicks and punches, knocking them all unconscious or incapacitated. But even then, as she resisted the control of the Hollow she felt weak, useless in the end._

 _She felt herself nearly drained of all energy as the large piggish Arrancar sucked up the souls of the weak around her, leaving her barely able to breathe, let alone stay conscious. She felt nearly utterly defeated until Orihime stood in to save her sorry ass. She barely recalled the rest, even as she saw the black cloaked figure of Ichigo saving both the mutilated Chad, and petrified Orihime._

 _She blamed herself for not being able to beat out the reason why Ichigo was burdened with a secret that was too dangerous for her to be shared with. She wondered what her friendship was for, but it was only the fact that she was stronger than Ichigo that made her a reliable friend and companion to Ichigo, teaching him how to fight and survive._

 _Now…she's powerless, and this presence definitely had Ichigo's fire inside it. Rough, violent and determined focus. Yet this was serene and composed at the same time. Its almost as if…_

"-Tatsuki! Look at the sky!" Suddenly broken from her reverie by Keigo's panicked voice, she lost focus of a black spark of residual Spiritual Power snaking onto her hands, and extended a low current onto her. But the sight in the sky was much more disturbing, as she saw what looked like a cloud of white and black falling towards Karakura Town like a hail of shooting stars.

"Get down!" She said as one of the pale fiery objects came down almost crushing the three, emitting a large shockwave in its wake, blasting the ground below it into burning rubble, cracking the street for 10 meters around it.

What came out of the crater, was something that sent chills down Tatsuki's spine and bones. A Blonde haired man with a pale white cloak draped around him casually, one side of his body was visible, a bare pale chest with a crest of unknown make ontop of where his heart should be. He also had a long white glove about elbow length on his left hand, complementing the black feather pauldron on his left shoulder, below a black feather laced metal boot, almost medieval European in appearance, with regular white hakama about his waist and legs.

The unknown invader bore an average lined face, a medium profound nose, and razor edged brows, perfectly suiting his blazing red irises, and well built jaw line. The most unsettling thing was the way those blood red eyes stared at her, his mouth stretched to display a chilling smile full of razor fangs. Like a predator, he stared down at her before looking at the others with palpable intrigue.

The crunches of heavy footsteps were heard in his intimidating stride, making it known just how much weight was behind each step and the muscle it took to move forward. He cocked his head at an angle as he wrapped his gloved left hand around his chin, making clucking sounds with his tongue, "Well well, what have we here? First place I check where we felt the famed, Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu and Reiryoku bursting at magnanimous proportions, I became inspired to find him first. But instead I find a group of peculiar humans with far smaller Reiatsu. Yes, far smaller than the others I've felt across this human city, is disappointing to say the least. I wonder," He mused as he drew closer, Tatsuki and the others unable to move. This man -no, this _thing_ \- had the evil escaping his very being, constricting and gripping around their cores like an unforgiving vice. Sweat escaped their pores as their bodies heated up, their legs shaking in place, and his Reiatsu tarnished to the point it would have been preferable to stare down another Hollow. His hand reached for Tatsuki's motionless, cold sweating, eye twitching, face as he whispered, "What I could learn, by extracting your brain and devouring it could tell me about you?"

Tatsuki was trying to tell her legs to move. Her head, arms, hips, anything to stop this nightmare from killing her. All she saw was the gloved palm of death reaching for her face, obscuring her sight as it nearly folded over her face. She smelled ash and blood escape the deceivingly clean linen, the palm grazing the tip of her nose and the fingers brushing chillingly across her brow, cheeks and temples. Tears escaped her eyes as her heart throbbed within her chest, her voice too choked to let out a scream of plea for help.

A sudden flash flew past her periphery, aiming for the glove of the Hanta holding her face, causing him to retreat five steps through a simple backwards hop, now regarding the new threat. This left her to fall to her hands and knees, gasping for air, along with the rest of her friends; even the stoic Mizuiro was taken aback by the monstrous presence that had held him and his friends captive so easily.

"Well well! If it isn't one of the Soul Hunters!" He yelled out in a theatrical tone, placing his slightly burned white glove to give him a mock salute to the now apparent figure, standing erect and tall on a lamp post 50 meters away from them. The attacker had a smoking revolver Kido Gun, showing it was the cause of the blinding flash, giving Tatsuki and her friends spots in their vision.

Keigo questioned quietly, "S-Soul Hunter? Is that a kind of Soul Reaper?"

Mizuiro cupped his chin with his right hand, supporting it with his right, acting unnervingly calm during this plight, saying, "He doesn't bear the robes of the Soul Reapers we've seen. A Black Ops perhaps, if they have those anyways? A splinter group?"

Tatsuki growled out in a low voice, "It doesn't matter! We have to get you two out of here!"

Keigo began to protest as Tatsuki began pushing them towards the opposite direction of the rubble and school, away from the Soul Hunter and the menace, hoping that the enemy was distracted enough by the new arrival to focus on them.

Unfortunately, a large assortment of four legged nightmares blocked their path, materializing out of ashen fog to materialize before their very eyes. The previously empty school parking lot was now filled with nearly a dozen white robed figures matching the similar motif of the man who almost had his way with the three of them. They were all different shapes and sizes, and the two dozen Hellspawn, all drooling blood and growling hideous low sounds, unheard to the three humans' ears unsettled them greatly.

"I'm sorry, humans, but I cannot allow you to leave alive. Not while my Hellspawn hunger for souls so gluttonously," The neatly combed blonde haired man said, turning around, with a smile on his face, winking at Tatsuki with a hungry glint in his blood colored irises. She shuddered as the man turned back to regard the stationary Soul Hunter, now counting inwardly the number of enemies and the best course of action that allowed the three Karakura residents to leave unharmed.

Keigo was practically on the verges of crying, feeling the menace of their intent, and concluded his death was going to happen, and his Hell on Earth had come for him. Even the calm Mizuiro was tense, beading cold sweat, and calculating the slim odds of them leaving alive without support or aide. Tatsuki was shaking, but took three steps forward, and went into a fighting stance, with a fist stretched outwards and her other hand near her side, her right side in front with her left held back; rigid and trembling, she forced courage past the fear of being woefully outclassed for the friends who couldn't defend themselves.

"T-Tatsuki?" Keigo uttered, totally baffled why she would even think of fighting some threat that none of them could handle.

"I-I can't just stand here and be devoured by these m-monsters! I-I will not cower this time! I will remain strong, just as I always should be!" Tatsuki shouted. These words broke the fog of fear Mizuiro had, staring in awe at her and Keigo halted his own desperate sobs to look on with subdued trepidation. They could only imagine what was going through her head to make such a hopeless stand on their behalf. Tatsuki didn't know what she had planned or if she had even a chance to win against these suicidal odds, but she was inclined to not back down; not after she had protected, toughened, and bonded with a guy like Ichigo.

 _"I'm not going to let others die or get hurt when I could've done something. I'm sorry, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad. Let me be a little selfish and return the favor for these guys, okay?"_ She motivated herself, a nervous smile creeping across her face. as the first enemy came towards her, a large gore salivating Hellspawn leaped towards her with mouth opened wide.

As it drew near, a beam of yellow energy snaked dangerously close to her head, and entered the maw of the beast, causing it to convulse in mid-air, leaving it less dangerous for Tatsuki. Not bothering to hesitate, she grabbed the large mouth of the beast, twirling her feet around and throwing over her shoulder, bloodying her jacket from the ichor ushering from its convulsing mouth as it was thrown towards the school with a mighty bone-snapping crash. The Hellspawn twitched as its dying form bled out of its eyes and mouth grotesquely, before breathing its last.

One of the Hanta, a smooth black haired one with his left eye covered by silky bangs, commented with a keen right eye, "She's good. I guess humans are skilled in combat as they say. It's a wonder how the Soul Hunters were ever established without them."

"They still needed blasted Soul Reapers to do it though! C'mon! Let's kill this girly before she gets anymore lucky!" Said another one, having a large Mohawk of yellow color and a ratty cloak of beige hue. Lifting up a large claymore with bone knit designs in the pommel and guard, before leaping at her, his weapon arcing towards Tatsuki's head.

Tatsuki smiled as he approached, deftly twisting around and out of the way of the huge weapon before back flipping in the air, as a mighty crash of debris flew in the weapon's wake before she landed back down. "You think you can hit me with that huge thing? I'm surprised you can use it one handed like that."

The Mohawk Hanta growled with annoyance, leaping at her with his claymore wrenching from the ground, kicking up concrete and asphalt as it went before swiping at her horizontally where her legs would be, "DON'T GET COCKY, HUMAN SCUM!"

Tatsuki executed a perfect back flip, landing a few paces from where she was standing, before sliding up to the Hanta with grace and speed surprising her classmates and her enemy. striking a powerful 3 hit jab to his throat, nose and left eye, making him sputter as he backed up.

"Wh-What the he-" he began to say before a leaping roundhouse kick planted onto his chest sent him reeling backwards, crashing into several Hellspawn, kicking up more of the parking lot and causing a large crash.

As the man growled, tossing the beasts aside, flurries of yellow light flew by him into the Hanta's throats and maws, causing them to die painfully beside him, the Soul Hunter aiming his Kido gun with steam rising from the end of the barrel, having barely moved at all.

"Why…you…fucking little dipshit!" Yelled out the Hanta, grabbing his weapon as he clambered up off the ground where he made a large indentation and drag across the parking lot.

"Don't be an idiot," The black haired, bored looking Hanta said, as he walked across, the other complement of Hanta stood their ground, not moving an inch until directed, "he already has an opponent."

The Soul Hunter, Ryo, suddenly flinched, as the blonde Hanta was now behind him. Launching a kick towards his head, it was intercepted by his sword wielding forearm, launching him across the air towards the ground below, his feet clashing mightily onto it.

The Blonde man held his kicking pose before hopping down from the air next to the light post, gracefully landed with a slight clack, waving his hands at him as he spoke, "My my, you are fast, for sure! I haven't met many who could dodge my strikes so swiftly and correctly. You truly are something, Soul Hunter."

"You know nothing of me, or what I'm capable of," He said in a dark liquid voice, Tatsuki surmises its due to that strange cloak he was wearing that obscured his face and body.

"That cloak hides your Spiritual Pressure well. Whatever you are, Soul Hunter, will be nothing more than a interesting specimen to take back to my lab," He declared with a manic smile. With a snap of his gloved fingers, three Hantas appeared around his quarry. "Please, sever his limbs, gentlemen."

As the Hantas raised their weapons, Ryo crouched down, before shimmering out of view, much to their surprise. Teleporting above them, murmuring lowly as he aimed his revolver Kido gun, "Horin," then a large Kido orange electric rope tied around the three Hanta together, causing them to grunt and shout in despair. It was too late as he fell upon them, making a large arc with his Nodachi, cutting all three of their heads off, leaving their bodies spurting blood as their tied bodies fell the ground inert and limp, twitching.

The Blonde Hanta clapped, chuckling, "Well done and executed, Soul Hunter. You're movement seems off, but you definitely fight like a Soul Reaper. More analyzing is needed," he snapped his fingers again, causing five other Hanta appear, each of them spread out in a scattered line, forming a 'W' formation.

As they all began to draw began their Zanpakuto when Ryo suddenly said in a disgusted tone, "Amateurs," rushing at them with vast speed, his cloak flapping around like a flag, his feet unseen from the blurring motion he created, as he slashed his Zanpakuto across the middle Hanta's legs, severing them in half. Not even before he registered this, he used his free hand to grab face, flipping over him and double side-kicking the other two Hanta aside, before violently gouging out his eyes, landing before the other two Hanta; both of them hesitated at the decisive speed and lethal blows he pulled off on their comrades.

That was all the time Ryo needed, as he slashed down viciously at the Hanta's leg on his left, causing him to buckle before he slashed his throat again, then pointed his Kido revolver at the last Hanta's face, uttering lowly, "Byakurai," a bright blue lightning streak exited the barrel and through the other side of the Hanta's head, giving a clean burned hole to display to the other side before he fell to the ground limply, his dead body twitching slightly from the last blow, but its life was gone.

The Blonde Hanta began to laugh hysterically, his voice sending chills down Tatsuki's spine as she figured some twisted part of him enjoyed seeing his subordinates cut down so elegantly by the skilled 'Soul Reaper'.

He then took a few precise steps towards the Blonde Hanta, saying lowly, "Entertained enough, Demon Spawn?"

That just made the Hanta giggle, saying with tears bordering his eyes from his hysteria earlier, whipping out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe them up as he said matter-of-fact, "Yes yes, quite so. I definitely have a better idea on _what_ you are. It really never mattered if you called yourself 'human', Soul 'Hunter' or Soul 'Reaper'. Now that I see that you're nothing like the other three I mentioned, you are something else…much more primal and brutal, like a trained predator told how to use weapons instead of his hands," he gestured to his own gloved hands, before smiling at them, flexing them experimentally before raising his own dark eyes back up to the Soul Hunter.

"But now, play time, is definitely over. Allow me to introduce myself to you, Soul 'Hunter'," he said as he bowed dramatically, letting his bangs fall over his eyes as he did so, holding his chest with his left while outstretching his right to the side, "I am Asar Santiago, and I am a loyal researcher to my Lord Ryoken Junta!"

Red energy crackled in between the gloves, as he chuckled, his Spiritual Pressure still hidden, but the visibility of Spiritual energy danced between his palms, right as the entire town became invaded of Hanta officially. And right before a few moments when Senna leaped out the window into the fray, to fight the very nightmare that stands before all of Karakura Town. Hell has made its first move and is now in the World of the Living!

* * *

Senna inhaled and exhaled. Her posture straightened. Her blade transformed into the prayer staff without incantation, and was raised erect in front of her face. With eyes closed, she continued to breathe slowly, concentrating on the well of Reiryoku buried deep within her. Golden ripples flowed from her feet over the cratered earth, starting off small in its perimeter before petering outwards in greater reach, soon maneuvering over the greater part of Karakura Town's center. Opening her eyes, orange embers flaked off now pupiless golden eye sockets and her voice echoed in a threatening tone.

" **Ban. Kai!** "

An eruption of orange hued wind burst from the seams of her very being, whipping outward in a cyclone of intense pressure, forcing Malice's close proximity back by his grinding heels. He didn't stop till he was at the edge of the crater he formed, his eyes widened and his smile broad at this sudden explosion of Reiatsu. It touched the sky, making the Springtime day into a tumultuous storm-head. Lightning crackled all around the skyline, and the earth trembled at the intensity of pressure being exerted on the ground. The sky swirled into an enormous funnel with the churning energies growing more intense with every passing second. When the storm was reaching levels to that of a cataclysm, the force of the heavens condensed around the top of the tornado and thrust itself down towards the origin point; the wind disappeared, the sky calmed but a new maelstrom of might had taken its place.

There, rising up from a kneeling posture, was a silhouette cloaked in circling vortexes of wind. Funneling around each limb, coiling around the waist up while an electrical surge of Reishi burned like plasma over a constantly rising set of hair, golden eyes glared through the armor of imperceptible wind that cloaked around Senna. The only thing that Malice knew was that she had gained a sizable boost; one that made her infinitely more enjoyable to slaughter than she was before.

" **Hagoromo Kumaru!** " Her voice boomed through her shell of twisting Reiatsu, her body constantly exuding grinding air pressure, effortlessly putting her several feet off the ground through the propulsion of her Bankai. It was a sight that made the hole wedged Uryu stare on in shock and awe. It was a Bankai unlike any he had seen before, and one of sheer power that he could only compare to Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu.

"Keh! KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Malice bellowed out with laughter, his body -bloodied and bruised- radiated a sickly yellow current that ebbed off him like a viscous vapor. Soon it took the shape of wailing skulls, released in loud shrieks that shook several city blocks of, making Uryu grimace with agony at hearing the horrible sounds -not to mention endure the sheer dreadful weight of his Reiatsu- that the Hanta's power was casting. Pointing his blade at Senna, the embodiment of maliciousness howled with sadistic glee with widened eyes and bodily spewing an unholy aura of screaming faces, he beckoned her with his weapon bared. "This is what I wanted from the beginning, Senna! All of your power you possibly have, against my untamed strength! Bring all of your hope, anger, despair and whatever else you believe in so I may grind it to dust before your eyes!"

" _This guy_ ," Uryu thought, prying himself gingerly from one busted pipe and pushing away some debris off his leg. " _He's too strong. I can't just let her fight alone. I got to do something-_ "

Taking a step out of the hole, he felt himself blown back first into it with a gale striking him and the crater instantly. What he wouldn't see, was Senna's wind-clad form catapulting from her position all the way into the Hanta's standing position. A launched twisting fist strikes an open palm, catching it between bleeding fingers while sparks and electricity cascade chaotically around the demonic entity's palm against the violently rotating current of Reiatsu. Grinning, Malice raised his sword to unleash a shearing stroke, meeting a rising left arm that deflected his sword with a thunderclap impact. Losing his footing, Senna launched a twister clad pair of feet to snap kick him against the chin, propelling him with a hurricane force that flattened the crater by ten more meters up to the disappearing cloud marred sky.

Hacking blood, Malice awkwardly regained his balance as he struggled to overcome a wave of pain and disorientation he was experiencing. The sudden sound of the wind roaring beneath caused him to blink and look down, seeing a large twister of orange tint, tipped by a mane of rising golden plasma, rose up to face him. With a sneer, Malice slashed mightily, the air tearing and distorting in the Reishi obliterating current that aimed to bifurcate her Bankai and all. It approached her swiftly, narrowly inches away from her wind and energy cloaked face till she blurred out of the way, deftly twirling around the edge of his sword slash up to his person.

"Dammit!" Malice swore aloud, slashing again, feeling an explosion of pain across his abdomen. Bile and ichor escaped his mouth, her left leg dynamically separating from his impacted waist, unleashing a torrent of wind of magnanimous proportions that spun him out of control across Karakura's horizon; echoing with thunder and flashing with golden light, the orange twister coloring the sky as it carried him for miles at a time. He only stopped when he felt a jerking punt as an overhead pair of wind coiled fists smashed his back, throttling him into the hillside bordering the town, exploding greenery and sending a breathtaking wind that rattled the city.

Releasing an indignant, deafening shout that leveled the flora that collapsed around him the Hanta looked up to see Senna's Bankai form floating high above him. Grinning past the blood escaping his gums, the now top-less black haired being kicked off the ground to bolt up to where she was levitating. Pulling back his blade he thrust it at the last second, releasing a shrieking lance of shredding Reiatsu towards her. As he expected, she somersaulted over his sword and its attack in a dizzying feat of aerodynamic agility and threw a kick at his head. With his free hand, he grabbed the wind-covered heel -ignoring his own shredding flesh of his hand- and hurled her into the hillside not far away from his own landing site.

Kicking off the sky, Malice zoomed down to her assumed crash-landing, sword reared back in preparation for a cutting stroke. Just before he neared her, she dramatically halted above the ground -shuddering the land with propulsive air currents from her entire back to stop her fall- and hurled her arms out in serene arcs. The motions connected the atmosphere around her, forming twisters out of the ground, hauling trees, branches, stones and the like up with them to sinuously aim to hit Malice's descending form at multiple angles. Despite this momentary innovative feat, Malice quickly swung his sword towards one flank while kicking his bare feet and free hand out; snapping the toes and fingers, creating ghastly shockwaves that blasted away all of her summoned tendrils of aerial force and debris. Only a dozen meters left before approaching her, Malice inhaled deeply and screamed, letting loose a cone of shredding air pressure intent on barreling into her perpendicular frame.

Left with no other option, Senna propelled herself by the feet, zooming away from the eviscerating earth and hurled up in an arch to angle above the now grounded Malice.

"Is that all you're going to do?! Buzz around me like a gnat?!" Malice shouted with a frustrated wave of his sword. "Here I thought you were going to fight me, but you can't even stand there and take a single swing from my sword! Are you that scared of my power, Senna?!"

" **Malice** ," Senna replied solemnly, her wind clad body sparking around the air and drawing upon electrical strikes from the sky. " **I've feared you for the longest time so I wouldn't fight you with all I had. I'd always strive to fight to escape. But now you're here for Ichigo, I can't afford to be afraid. Even with this incomplete Bankai of mine, I'll put everything on the line and hit you with all the power I can muster!** "

Then, in a flash of light, her wind clad body became an incandescent aura of lightning. Howling with ferocity, the gale of wind blew out from her body up to several meters thick while the core of her frame became a conduit of her Reiatsu. It was nigh impossible to see her figure, just the intimidating silhouette painted in golden flashes of light behind a twister wall of orange dyed air. Even with the trees, grass and soil being thrown aside, Malice looked on with his confident feral smile with his blade in hand.

" **Kirin Hoko!** " She intoned, the wall of wind detonating in an explosive burst. Splitting the atmosphere in a pop loud enough to be confused for a bomb, Senna's wind fueled electrical form charged forward towards the standing still Hanta. Channeling her Reiatsu into a Reishi spear of coiled contortion, akin to that of a unicorn's horn, she thrust it through what she saw was Malice's exposed chest.

But instead of hitting flesh, she felt a sudden horrid shriek that rattled her whole being. As the perception of her eyes warped she cast a confused glance all around till she noticed a single mangled nail of Malice's scraping the flat of his blade. Through that, she had been lured into thinking he was incapable of fighting back or would be seen moving otherwise; instead, he had halted her charge the moment her defense was down and her offense was her primary weapon.

"Game over," Malice retorted with a jeering cackle, slashing his blade across the end of her left waist up the shoulder through the midriff. "I win!"

Pain crashed relentless into her. What would've been the normal bite of a sword cutting through flesh was amplified by the horrid tearing force that broke through the composition of her Bankai and tore her from the state back to her Shikai wielding self. With Mirokumaru cut in half, held in two parts with either arm -having raised it to defend herself in a futile gesture- she dropped to the ground in a stumble, blood spilling down her shredded shirt and slashed coat to the gouged earth she stood upon. Gritting her teeth, she shook as she willed herself to stand past the pain, but Malice was already swinging back the other direction.

Another unrelenting crash of shearing force struck her, the Zanpakuto doing little in its state to null the damage that wracked her whole being. Smashing through splintered wood of trees that were pulverized by the pressure wave, she bounced on the earth for a great deal before skidding in a dirty trench of autumn leaves and thistles of destroyed pine trees. Groaning, she saw black spots creep in on her vision and a ringing sound from the deafening strike she received. She saw Malice's lower body and then upper half between blinks, walking casually towards her, blood soaked blade held aloft with sadistic glee.

"I don't know what you were expecting, Senna! This outcome was destined to go down this way!" He exclaimed incredulously, his steps taking him closer and closer to the writhing frame of his Soul Hunter opponent. "There is no one alive who can best me in a fight! Even you Soul Hunters come up short; just what did you think you can accomplish on your own?"

The sudden twang followed by a whistling sound interrupted the one-sided dialogue. Not even midway of taking his step, Malice batted away a blue arrow, dispersing it into Reishi sparks. Looking around he felt nobody around. Stomping the ground, he bellowed out with a shearing wave unleashed by the power of his own voice, "SHOW YOURSELF, QUINCY! YOU CAN'T PRETEND YOU DON'T EXIST AFTER TAKING A POT SHOT AT ME!"

Another twang and the arrow flew at his turned head. Snarling, he turned with a slash at the bolt-

-only to see a silver canister the size of his thumb flying out of the destroyed arrow.

"Gritz!" A voice chanted, causing the Ginto to flash a film of Reishi forming metal, wrapping into a five-pointed star icon branded shell that imprisoned the Hanta. Loud banging was heard following by profuse cursing that was indistinct, enabling Senna to see the source of her savior.

The dirtied, civilian dressed Uryu appeared with bow held aloft and head bandaged from the previous wound by a sliver of his torn shirt. Walking over to her, he seemed to observe her myriad of gashes, lacerations and the broad gaping cut made across her chest. As she struggled to breathe, he turned her over and placed a hand over her wound. A glowing aura of Reishi manifested from his finger tips, following the sight of needle-guided thread of Reishi stitching her wound and cauterizing the injury appropriately. Feeling pain but breath regained, she asked with a raspy chuckle, "Since when were you a doctor?"

"I'm not. I'm a Quincy, my father is one. I just picked up basic first aid by watching him when I was younger. I've got a knack for needle and thread, so this isn't a problem with my skills," He explained calmly, the banging in his barrier becoming louder and louder with every passing second. Once he was finished with his work, he gave a satisfied nod and stood up, speaking softly as he turned his back to her. "You've done enough. I'll take it from here."

"H-He'll kill you," She rasped out.

"Maybe," He answered her, activating his Ginrei Kojaku as the barrier finally splintered into fiery fragments of Reishi. With the string pulled back to his cheek, he intoned with a challenging grin. "But I'll make him work for it, one way or another."

* * *

Tatsuki evaded another sword slice by the Mohawk donned Hanta, doing her best to keep him angry and unfocused. She'd land jabs to his chest before evading a thrust by dropping to the ground and sweeping his feet with her left leg, sending him falling onto the ground below with a grunt. This was all in an effort to use the best of her martial arts to overcome the difference in raw power as a human to...whatever he was.

And so far, it was working.

"You damned human! I can see why Lord Ryoken's precious Kuzuri had underestimated his prey; you're always quicker than you look!" He growled, slashing at her body, moments before she rolled over and flipped back onto her feet. She strangely didn't look the least bit winded from the exchange between the avoiding and landing blows against the Hanta, though she was far too occupied to notice her own non-depleting stamina.

The Mohawk Hanta looked around took a moment to regain his bearings and check on his surroundings. Other than the aforementioned dark haired colleague, two others and Asar, he was without any additional comrades. Gritting his teeth, he knew this was taking too long and he rather not release any power unnecessarily before they found their prized target.

"Kuroi! Help me out here instead of standing there watching!" The Mohawk Hanta yelled out in frustration, waving his sword over his head as he glanced over at the smooth black haired Hanta; the latter of which looked indifferent to his predicament.

"She is not a threat with her current Reiatsu. Stop holding back and finish her off," He replied in soft voice, irritated that his comrade was taking this long to take out one insignificant human.

"Tch, the Hell with you! She's too weak for me to go all out on her sorry lit-ack!" He began to complain until Tatsuki swiftly kicked at his gut, before following up with a backflipping kick and catching his chin. The impact made him bite his lip, his head dizzied and his whole body flip over to crash into another section of the tarmac parking lot.

Kuroi sighed, stroking his bangs away for a moment across his ear, saying briskly in an annoyed tone, "Zoku, you truly are an idiot."

Said 'Zoku' exploded from the debris, swinging his sword up above his head before narrowly missing Tatsuki again, crashing the tarmac where she stood a few moments ago, growling at his miss, "Shut the Hell up, Kuroi!"

Suddenly, Tatsuki was before Zoku, her eyes burning with rage, and her fist tightened louder than expected. Twisting towards his chest, an unusual black current flowed around her fist, suddenly causing a ear popping boom; a blow that caused damage to Zoku.

Zoku was shocked as he coughed up blood, splattering on his hands and the ground below him, still unable to fathom how that happened, "This is...my blood? Impossible!"

Kuroi also had his eyes open wide with shock, the two other Hanta had their own hidden expressions of surprise that the human landed a blow that penetrated Zoku's thick skin and caused internal damage.

"Her Spiritual Pressure just now…" Kuroi muttered quietly before Tatsuki took the initiative again, letting loose another black sparking uppercut to Zoku's jaw, sending the large wiry Hanta off his fee. He went hurtling across the parking lot towards the street outside the school property, causing a tremendous crash of exploding asphalt and concrete.

Tatsuki began to breathe deeply, looking down at her fists with awe and uncertainty.

"What's going on? Where is this coming from?" She questioned, watching tendrils of ebony Reishi snap and crackle around her hands and arms, spreading swiftly across her white gi. She remembered the sparking residual presence that Ichigo left behind at the remains of the gym. When Keigo had told her about the sky, she was reminded of a static shock feeling for a few minutes as the Hanta arrived on the parking lot in front of the school.

"Kill her," Kuroi whispered to his right, a Hanta wearing a white cloth covered straw hat The agent of Hell's head cast shadows over his appearance as he wore a priest-like assortment of white robes instead of cloaks like the others, with silver borders. He nodded, reaching within his coat and brought out twin machetes, gleaming with polish and slight flecks of dried blood, as well as two silver enamored skulls for pommels.

Within just a moment, he disappeared in a shimmering blur, reappearing to the temporarily stunned Tatsuki, cutting outwards in a twin horizontal slice towards Tatsuki's neck, just grazing her Gi, white cloth splayed like hair in all directions from the intense attack. Tatsuki immediately began doing back flips to avoid the continuous and more precise attacks of the Hanta, finding that she was dealing with a precise killer instead of a barbarian.

For the first time, Keigo finally began to feel fear for Tatsuki. Since the beginning, both he and Mizuiro were in stunned awe by her performance against the Hellspawn, and then when she danced for the past unknown time against Zoku. But now they were seeing her being pushed back, and parts of her gi were being slashed apart. Her stoic countenance looked panicked, and he too felt wide-eyed concern for her.

Yet, when he looked to Mizuiro, he saw he was watching with extreme intent. There wasn't fear but yearning to see more. He could only wonder what his friend was thinking as his eyes returned to the volatile situation unfolding.

Tatsuki's self awareness to her danger didn't stop her from staying her ground. Casting a glance at the Soul Hunter, she saw that he was too busy engaging in combat with the fearsome Hanta that riddled her with cold, paralyzing fear. The Hunter was was barely missing him with every swipe and every thrust of his long Zanpakuto, while Asar danced to and fro with a maddened gleeful grin plastered on his face.

So lost in staring at the other battle happening she barely had time to duck another swipe of the machetes. Leaping to the side and cartwheeling to her left to avoid another slash by the near silent Hanta, she was starting to feel the pressure. If she wasn't careful, she knew her life would be forfeit in an instant!

"You're very good, human. Despite your fluctuating Reiatsu, your fine tuned training of your body has kept you in perfect condition through this fight," The previously silent Hanta spoke in a deep voice. Standing perfectly tall again, no longer in his crouched posture, he showed off his menacing stature over her shorter one. Both blades held in a presenting fashion, pointing in opposite directions while he stared from the concealing shadow of his cloth hat.

"Nice of you to notice, but I don't accept flattery from a bunch of murderers!" Tatsuki growled, stepping back into a defensive position, not wanting to drop her guard against someone of this caliber.

"It was just an observation, not exactly flattery. I only give my respect to those who earned it," He intoned, grinding his machetes together. As sparks danced between the two razor edges a high-pitched grinding noise made Tatsuki cringe and nearly reach up to clasp her hands over her ears to stop the sound. Her whole body seemed to be disoriented, her balance becoming lopsided and her legs buckled while her upper body swayed.

During that brief time, things seem to go static and blurred. As suddenly as the sound was made, it stopped. Everything seemed to be standing still and silent, until she noticed something odd.

"Oh shit!" She yelled out, the sound coming back to her ears as she barely registered what happened as she instinctively leaped to the left. A biting sensation was felt on her left shoulder, a deep wound now clutched by her right hand, gritting her teeth in the process as her feet skidded across the tarmac.

"Wh-What was that feeling?" She asked herself in a whisper. Clutching her arm, a steady drip came down her left arm, coating her hand in the morbid thick liquid, splattering onto the black tarmac underneath it, her own right hand was already stained richly with it. She hadn't felt this hurt since she and Orihime were attacked for the first time in her friend's home.

"Ah, once again, your instincts and training took over. I am quite impressed," The Hanta rumbled aloud, looking over towards her direction, his silver glowing eyes now visible underneath the shadow cast by his hat, a predatory gaze cast at her near wounded body.

Tatsuki's brows knitted as the obvious sign of pain etched into her features, sweat came down as she could feel the nerves seem to scream to the rest of her body. But she forced herself to be quiet, biting on her lower lip and slowly returning to a fighting stance, ignoring the blood leaking from her arm. Raising a soaked right hand, she gripped it and glared knowingly at her enemy.

"That sound, was that your swords' ability?" Tatsuki asked, baiting the Hanta into at least explaining that god-forsaken noise.

The Hanta's silver demonic eyes narrowed, saying in an almost guttural tone, "You're a sharp one, human."

He then raised his machetes back up near his face, the blades almost touching again in a crisscross fashion, explaining aloud, "This is my Zanpakuto's Shikai, Kenkaku Tsuinzu. This pair of blades allow me to produce a high frequency in the direction I scrape my the razor edges together. It has lethal efficiency, it's ability capable of even making the most formidable of Soul Reapers fall victim to its power, making it unrivaled in its paralyzing affects."

Tatsuki's eyes widen dramatically at the gravity of her situation. She had no control over this new surge of strength flowing wildly through her body. She was now facing a calculating opponent with a weapon that can specifically hinder her reflexes and reaction timing. Without that, she was at a huge disadvantage against this man, and she was starting to wish she hadn't stuck her neck out as she did.

 _"Ichigo is going to pay for ruining my day!" S_ he inwardly scorned with rage against her so-called best friend, now regretting yet again, for ever meeting the orange haired idiot.

Suddenly the machete wielding Hanta was upon her again, swinging his machetes just as fast as last time, not wanting to give her time to think, slicing towards her left brow with his right machete, its cold blade sang in the air as Tatsuki's human senses kicked into overdrive, bringing everything to a crawl. She moved with all the adrenaline in her body pumping through every muscle, her head bent backwards with all the speed and agility she could muster, the blade narrowly cut off a good few centimeters of her spiky forward hair off as she avoided the lethal blow.

She gritted her teeth, not wanting to run away and distance herself like last time to give him time to use his ability again, she bent backwards enough, and palming the asphalt beneath her, pumping her strength to lift her lithe athletic body. Kicking upwards, she caused the Hanta to backpedal, her feet thrusting out in a ferocious kick, blocked by his other machete's face.

The metal clang and the firm vice grip kept it in place, but it let Tatsuki propel herself back a few feet, narrowly dodging another slice of his other machete, her gi sleeve came undone and a slight scratch to her right arm was seen.

Tatsuki breathed inward and outward, strangely not feeling the slightest tired or worn from her battle of the Hanta as of now. Suddenly, she heard a voice within her telling her to let her mind blank, to let her instinct guide her, and not think of anything else. Not thinking about anything else, she subsided and let go of her worries and listened to the wordless voice echoing within. Just as she did, her body spark all over, as if her whole being was shocked with a thousand different static points. She almost passed out from the experience, her body seeming to radiate these ebony tendrils, her gi clad body becoming clad in a sudden crimson Reiatsu that blossomed out like an erupting furnace.

The sight was as alarming as it was sudden, causing the meticulous Hanta to leap in for the kill.

"You're finished!" The Hanta bellowed, swinging his blades at her glowing form.

In the arc of his weapons came a large blast of blood hued light, released by an erupting fire of Reishi that spread outwards in a whirlwind of force and projecting Reiatsu. The sensation of energy flooded her veins, escaping her skin's pores and wrapped around her whole being in the rising Spiritual Pressure everyone could sense. This act repelled the twin machetes by the force of her Reiatsu, knocking back the Hanta and even setting his cloak on fire.

Her whirling power shot into the sky as a pyre of flames, touching the sky and causing electrical bolts of black energy to snap and crackle over the heads of all present by the school. Anyone with adept Reikaku could feel the Reiatsu being released was unlike anything they had sensed; those who knew her best, would know it was her right away.

The Hanta barely managed to throw off his cloak in time, showing parts of his pale skin charred by the fire and a scarred face from a jagged crisscross shape blade wound, starting at the bridge of his nose up to his brow line and down his cheeks and chin. He growled, heaving heavily from both the pain and from the amount of strength it took to keep from dying in the release.

Kuroi's eyes were wide and awestruck, seeing this spectacular transformation and yet another near fatality to his comrade. Unlike the other Hantas, they were unique, and he felt like they were far superior, entirely different besides the dim witted Zoku. So to see one of them be nearly bested by a human…or whatever she has become...certainly made him give pause along with his other comrades.

The fighting even halted at this new development with Ryo and Asar, the former merely grunting in shock, his features hidden from view so his reaction wasn't as amazed as anyone could see, but more surprised. Asar's on the other hand gleamed and practically fell onto his back from the surprising new show of hidden power. It's almost something he always wanted to play with: a human potential of being more powerful than a Soul Reaper! The things he could do with her…the tests he could run…

His ideas were halted suddenly as a long Zanpakuto curved over to meet his brow. Using incredible speed, the Hanta bent backwards before shimmering away from Ryo several meters to his left, righting himself back upright to look at Ryo with amusement.

"Well well, you certainly act more like an opportunist than an idealist from the way you fight; you almost remind me of myself," He mused aloud, wiping away a fleck of blood about to drip down his perfect brow, noticing that a slight cut was formed above it. "Unfortunately, you got the first blow on me…, and that won't do at all."

The Hanta then raised his hand towards Ryo, chanting lowly. " **Imperius Numeral VII, Lines Inferni**!"

After weaving what could be described a satanic star with his left hand rapidly, he then palmed and clenched it, causing all the edges of the star to shoot out crimson chords all spreading out and snapping out like serpents. Ryo moved fast, emptying what looked like empty casings onto the ground from his Kido revolver, then reloaded them with new yellow energy cartridges, flipping it upside down so his pinky finger was on the trigger pointing at his feet. Mere moments before the lines struck, he uttered, "Tozansho," and then fired the gun, emitting a large inverted blue pyramid barrier, halting the devastating cutting power of the red chords from the star, but cracking under the pressure.

"Please, even with your enhanced Kido, it won't keep my chords at bay for long," Asar mocked while grinning maliciously. He tightened the hold on the inverted pyramid barrier, the cracks on it became more numerous and alarmingly close to cutting Ryo apart.

Ryo however, only used it to stall for time, to counter the Spiritual Energy ribbons before him. Holding his nodachi horizontal to his body, he whispered something that couldn't be heard beyond the barrier itself. As the pyramid shattered, a bright light was emitted from inside and suddenly in several arcs, the chords suddenly drained into an obsidian handled scythe, held diagonally behind him with the sickle edged blade burning a bright red.

"Allow me to introduce you to my Zanpakuto's true form, Hanta!" He declared, then whizzing out of view before reappearing above, slashing in a reaping arc towards his enemy. In that instant, a large arc of shearing blood hued light was sent his way, quaking the earth as it slammed into it and cut a deep crescent shaped hole where his target was located.

The Hanta chuckled, standing on the edges of the blast radius, his clothes were charred showing he didn't make it totally unscathed from the attack. He stood erect and proud, however, amused at the revelation of his enemy's Shikai, "Fascinating! So _that's_ your Zanpakuto's true power! Does it have a name?"

Ryo stood stalwart and unfazed by the condition of his opponent, expecting this from him, not uttering another word.

The Hanta twitched, irritated that he refused to answer him. He smiled regardless, looking over at Tatsuki's new form beginning to be revealed from the mighty steam and smoke that her release kicked up, saying, "Well I guess it won't matter. Soon, you and the human, will be nothing more than my personal test subjects. Shall we begin?"

* * *

Uryu knew he was stalling from the beginning. His opponent's powers, his Reiatsu and overall physiology was superior to his own. The best he could do was draw him away from Senna and hope someone could give him a hand. Last he saw Chad, he was unconscious and Orihime was more than likely sticking close to Ichigo's side till he awakened. He had no idea what the rest of the city's situation was, or if anyone was faring better than him.

This point in time? He'll make do with what he has.

"COME BACK HERE, YA SHIT!" Malice bellowed, following hot on the Quincy's trail throughout the forest. His body produced that sickening aura of wails and screams, the force of which blew the treeline the moment it got within spitting's distance of his approach. With his saw-toothed blade held tight in his bloodied hand, the black-haired top-less Hanta glared with red and black eyes, in hot pursuit of his new quarry. Pulling back his weapon, he swung it at Uryu's dirtied civilian garb. "I SAID COME BACK AND FIGHT ME, ASSHOLE!"

The forest quaked from the sword stroke, a howling pressure wave flowing in a monstrous gale wind. Shrieking as bark turned to dust and soil was grounded into dust, the Quincy quickly evaded the high velocity strike in a split second motion. Thanks to Hirenkyaku, he created a momentary illusion that he was struck by the attack, giving the Hanta something to pause over.

Letting loose a slew of Heilig Pfeil, a wall of azure bolts whistled towards his enemy's unprotected flank. It was an obvious attack and one that Malice easily sensed and countered with another warping cut of his weapon. What he didn't count on was a good number slipping into the earth before the shockwave hit the wave of projectiles.

Or the fact they rose up around him on all sides.

Uryu smirked as he sensed his attack struck true, pelting his skin and lacerating his already wounded body. If it wasn't for the fact he had such an unholy aura surrounding him, he knew he'd be done. The arrows barely made incisions before scattering into fizzling sparks. The effect was just enough to hurt and draw him into a furious fervor.

" **JACKASS! I'LL TEAR YOUR SKIN OFF AND GUT YOUR ORGANS, ASSHOLE!** "

He couldn't make out what he was saying, only that undeniable flux hit him like a shredding wall of bricks. His skin cut, his insides bruised and his head slammed. His bow was eradicated and the whole of him blew back with a slew of shattering bark and branches. His vision darkening and his dirtied, bloodied frame skidded across the annihilated ground, strewn about with debris of the environment.

"Can't move," Uryu assessed, barely craning his head around, his disoriented vision seeing Malice leaping up into the air. That is, until his glasses cracked, splintering to pieces before his eyes. "Damn, I liked these glasses _._ "

"Can't run away now, can ya?!" The Hanta jeered with a manic grin, descending upon the downed target with a raised blade.

"Guess I have no choice," He sighed, his body luminously wafting with Reishi that ebbed off in ringed sheets akin to a web. Malice watched with accelerated concern as he charged closer, the civilian garbed Quincy becoming entangled by the azure lines, wrapping around his wounded limbs and dirtied torso. In a gust of Reiatsu, his sword swung at Uryu's fetal posture; just as Uryu tossed four Ginto at the blade.

"Feel the wrath of Battle and accept this sacred chalice! **Heizen!** " Uryu chanted. In the line of sparking Reishi cast by the Hanta's sword, a grey cube manifested out of the ether, smashing into the teeth of his blade and crashed bodily against his arms, legs and face from up the chest. Throttled upwards like a rocket, the abolishing cube continued to press against him, heat swelling across his own impressively shielded flesh. Burns were cast against his skin, his hair coming alight of cobalt hue and his eyes became bloodshot in the red-black tint of his irises.

Snarling, he let loose a snarling howl, shattering the abolishing Reishi cube in an explosive wave of his formidable power. Shaking off the heat of the Ginto, he'd feel a piercing bite of an arrow hit his shoulder, and he'd look at a Heilig Pfeil jutting through his body. Seething with rage, he flexed and the bolt shattered, ignoring the blood escaping his wound during a twisting slash at Uryu's aerial balanced position. He dodged with ease, firing more bursts of arrows that veered and angled away from each other, hampering the Hanta's ability to deflect them all with a single strike.

"Why!" He shouted with a deflecting crack of his sword against an arrow.

"Don't!" Malice repelled another.

"You!" Snapping an arrow, he shouted loudly with a radiating pulse of shrieking pressure. "FALL?!"

Uryu backpedaled enough along the air, aided by a pair of small Reishi platforms beneath the soles of his feet, to balance himself in the sky with the Hanta. Straightening himself up through the influence of his adept Reishi manipulation -a feat only possible through refined practice of Ransotengai- that he moved through the pain and exhaustion of his weary body. Pulling back his bowstring against his cheek, he smiled mockingly at the livid Hanta.

"It's really simple, when you think about it," He answered, letting loose a harrowing storm of arrows that filled the sky, becoming a swirling twister of guiding projectiles that moved like a flock of glowing birds from the horizon. His eyes, devoid of glasses, now shined a brilliant blue as he controlled the storm of Reishi at his beck and call while shouting confidently at the Hanta. "You're not strong enough to kill me!"

The Hanta's eyes widened at such an enormity of arrows being summoned. It never occurred to him, even now in his confusion, that all of the Reiatsu he had been unleashing carelessly in the forest by himself and Senna had dissipated into the atmosphere as Reishi. So much of it was utilized that there was a near limitless bounty for Uryu to use for his arsenal, and even maintain his control over Ransotengai while fighting at this level.

Grinding his molars hard enough to chip, Malice pulled back his blade and let loose a roaring swing, screaming out in defiance, "Like HELL I'm not strong enough!"

Severing the heavens, a large assortment of arrows were dispelled in the wake of the disruptive sword swing. But, it couldn't counter the hundreds of thousands that danced around his attack, akin to a school of fish avoiding an obstacle that was sent their way. Widened eyes looked on with malcontent, swinging and stabbing, unleashing one tearing fissure over and over, finding himself thoroughly surrounded as his attacks were being avoided by the Quincy's controlled wind of bolts. Flying around him, he let loose a frustrated scream, tearing the heavens apart in a desperate attempt to push them back.

Then, the remainder swarmed all over him in a brilliant blue pentacle blast of Reishi.

" **Reinigung Kreuz,** " Uryu intoned, adjusting his spectacles as the explosion lit up the sky, parting the clouds and becoming a shining beacon for all of Karakura Town to observe. Like a flare, it'd fall with its target, scorching the toppled wasteland below with a searing impact. The Quincy looked on feeling a twinge of dizziness that made him stumble in his erect posture in the air.

"Looks like I'm getting close to the limits of Ransotengai, after that attack," Uryu muttered, lowering himself gently to the ground, his eyes occasionally darting over to the steaming crater where Malice landed.

Amidst the steam, he saw a standing silhouette that made his blood go cold.

Rasping for breath, a figure resembling the Hanta he was battling emerged with grievous injuries the likes of which that made him want to retch. His skin had been peeled off from burns, the lacerations that he had previously received shown in pus leaking wounds that gushed ichor. Muscles sinewed with bones were on display, the underlying tissue barely holding it together. Parts of the skull were torn off, revealing the left side of his face's teeth past the jaw along with a copiously bleeding eye socket. With a good deal of his hair blown off his scalp, the mangled remains of Malice shook with abject rage; he was beyond pain, it was sheer emotion that held him together.

"How can you still be alive?!" Uryu gawked, holding a hand up to his mouth as his feet touched the ground. The stench coming off him was far more pronounced. Worst still, his Reiatsu had yet to be dampened by the wounds he now possessed. If anything it felt even more intense than before!

"You bitch!" Malice growled, his bleeding cadaver of a body stepping forward with a meaty crunch followed with a wet slap from the other foot. "You think I haven't experienced pain, beyond imagining?! That wounds like this, could kill me?! You sorely overestimated your chances, Quincy! I am Malice! An incarnation of malevolence and ill intent! I will not rest and I will not fall till those I hate die before my eyes! IN PAIN AND AGONY!"

With Malice's last words, a monstrous Reiatsu was unleashed, undulating the earth and making Uryu's skin become cold to the touch. His Ransotengai's threads left his body and his bow dispersed upon contact. His eyes dilated and his mouth parted in unholy shock. A horde of ghastly, eye-less faces screamed from his grotesque body's aura, creating a towering vista of nightmarish imagery that swam across the living world's landscape. The sky was seeped in crimson and the sky darkened through the unnatural touch of his aura.

Falling to his knees, Uryu felt his hands barely stop his body from falling prone to the abomination that stood apart from him. He couldn't stop shaking, his trembling hands quivered and his teeth chattered. Even as his eyes swelled up with moisture, his skin raked in cold sweat among the dirt and blood, he fell victim to this monster's mere presence.

" _This is...beyond me_ ," He realized with despair, his shaking head craning up, against all of his instincts to not look. The bleeding monstrosity walked slowly, a sickening grin stretched as blood and viscous saliva dripped off his mangled visage. A sword rose up, aiming to claim his life. "I can't move! I can't stop shaking!"

"Don't you look pathetic, Quincy? Shaking like a little bitch. Bet you're about to piss yourself, aren't ya?!" He crowed, spitting vile substances on Uryu, standing over him with his aura practically crushing him into the ground. Raising the blade up, he grinned and swung it down with immense force. "SCREAM FOR ME, QUINCY!"

* * *

Ichigo felt like this fight was getting him nowhere.

Ever since he had entered this duel of locked horns with his Inner Hollow, their fight simply just dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Though he may have seemed serene on the outside he was anything but, battling this self imposed menace. His duplicate just had so much strength and the Old Man wasn't going to let him go so easily if he slacked off or wanted out of this debacle of a sparring match. Their blades rang with every broad bounce and their bodies were enamored with sweat and dust, fallen towers littering the awkward layout of the landscape.

"Dammit!" Ichigo cursed, gripping his sword's handle tightly. "This isn't getting me anywhere!"

" **And that's why you fail, oh your royal highness** ," The Inner Hollow condescended with a jeering bow. " **You don't want to cooperate with me, nor do you find any point in us fighting. I knew the Old Man was the one setting this up, but don't you think you should be a bit more self aware?** "

"Shut up!"

" **Man, you're so dense** ," The White Zangetsu replied with a sigh.

Before the Substitute could continue, a sudden jolting force grabbed hold of his being. The Inner Hollow would watch as Ichigo evaporated into the sky, leaving him alone with the debris. Rolling his eyes, he knew he was called away, leaving him alone with the Old Man Zangetsu escaping the shadow of the White Zangetsu.

"It seems Ichigo is needed for the battle to come," The older man stated with his brisk voice. Looking over beneath his shades, he asked the Inner Hollow. "How far along do you think he's come?"

" **He's rough as Hell around the edges, but he's regained almost all of his instincts and skills from before. He's still got a ways before he can hope to be at the level he was when he fought Aizen, but he's a lot stronger than he ever was before then,** " The pale skinned doppelganger assessed, maintaining an aloof expression while speaking. Scratching his chin, he grinned. " **But if he channeled my strength with his own, he'd wreak havoc like none other. Too bad you're keeping his real potential under lock and key, eh, Qu-?** "

"Tread lightly with your words, Hollow," The Old Man threatened, his eyes glaring red through the visor, hands twitching at his sides. "I am the master of his potential. If I see it fit he be annihilated, then that would be the end of it. However, so long as it is on my whim, I shall contain his power to a degree satisfying to my desires. Should you try to breach that pact by relaying unflattering information to him I will lock you away so deep he will never hear your voice again. Do I make myself, clear?"

* * *

Ichigo awoke to a painful slap across the face. Jolting upright, he banged heads with his father, the latter of which recoiled back and rubbed his head while the prior stumbled back over his chair in an unceremonious heap. Sputtering, he kicked the chair away and reached out to grab him by the collar, only to find it was the Shikhakusho's _kosode_ he grasped instead of a shirt.

"Ichigo, the enemy is here," Isshin relayed soberly, ignoring the throbbing headache he received from his son. "They arrived while you slept. Apparently you entered an unconscious _Jinzen_. I had to use a fair bit of strength to knock you out of it. You're welcome, by the way."

"Where is everyone?!" Ichigo questioned frantically, noticing he was alone in the backyard with his father.

"Orihime healed Chad and the two of them set off to help where it was needed. Fighting broke out everywhere. I've been in touch with Kisuke but, from the sound of it, casualties are kept to a minimum but the damage is pretty vast. There's no way Soul Society won't be notified about this," He solemnly debriefed him, his eyes looking over to the horizon. There, a bright flare of blue-white light like a star flashed in the horizon, its shape a pentacle cross. As Ichigo stared on in awe, processing what the myriad of Reiatsu he was sensing across the city, Isshin nodded towards the fading light. "Uryu and Senna went to fight this guy who was in your front yard, looking for you. Thankfully he didn't get that far. I stayed here in case somebody else decided to check here, but now you're awake, I can trust you to help them out while I take some of these guys out."

The Substitute Soul Reaper knew there was no other alternative. If his father awakened him in such a manner, that meant they couldn't beat the enemy on their own. And if Senna or Uryu were having trouble, that meant this Ryoken Junta must have sent someone far stronger than the pair that had already been tasked with reaping his soul. Closing his eyes, he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out his badge.

"Karin and Yuzu were escorted with Kon by Kisuke to his shop, to make sure they weren't drawn into the crossfire," Isshin added, smiling at his son and giving him a thumb's up. "Go knock'em dead. I'll make sure to compare kills with you when we get back."

"Right," Ichigo nodded with a steeled gaze, slapping the badge onto his chest. With his body falling limp to the ground, his sleeveless Shikhakusho clad form emerged in streaks of ebony and blue. Drawn to the place he felt Uryu and Senna's Reiatsu, leaped off the ground and disappeared in a shaving sound. Isshin, likewise, left in a gust of wind. Father and son, depart for the battlefield.

On to save the others!

* * *

 **A/N** : Alright! Finally uploaded this!

Apologies, this Chapter ended up being fairly long in its own right and it took awhile for me to get it out there. This is what happens when you're unsatisfied with the original edition, edit it and then scrap it in favor of a complete overhaul. In this edition, I kept Tatsuki's sections with Ryo, polishing them but changed a crucial part; Senna's Bankai. At the moment, given how short of time has passed, her Bankai is in a very immature stage so it has no real physical shape or design other than an armored shell of wind and a lance of lightning as seen in the last section of her fight. I was going to dismiss Uryu's involvement but I thought otherwise and gave him a real good go at Malice, bringing him to near dead state.

And instead of redoing the ending of the first edition, I thought to just leave that for the next chapter instead. That way you can see Ichigo's fight from start to finish in way of waiting on him in a cliffhanger. This felt more appropriate, methinks. Hopefully this turned out as good as I wanted it to be. Until then, see you in the next upload!


	10. The Hero's Return

**I raise my sword**

 **The blood seeps from my body**

 **Against the horde**

 **My vision is darkening**

 **Let loose my hatred**

 **I can't move**

 **Until my enemies are dead**

 **No matter the cost, I won't lose!**

 **Chapter 10**

 **The Hero's Return**

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki felt a chill in the air. Ever since he looked into the horizon and took off to where he felt Uryu's Reiatsu, an overwhelming sensation akin to shrieks of the damned filled the atmosphere. A sickening yellow cloud rose up, screams towering as far as the eye could see and the sky becoming an ill color of blood red. Lightning sprouted from the sky, crackling ribbons of scarlet and white, dancing around in an erratic ritual to showcase the dread that's being spread across the World of the Living. The forest itself, what wasn't bulldozed by the battle beforehand, was already being tainted; blood ebbing from the bark and the grass withering into dust. The smell of sulfur licked in the air with burning ozone were just minor additions to complement just how wrong this whole situation felt.

With his superior speed, the Substitute Soul Reaper managed to find Senna. She was limping, her body visibly unfurled and weathered by the fight she had with her opponent. As she fell, he quickly appeared by her side, catching her which enabled him to see the adept Reishi threads that had sewn her torn flesh neatly. Gritting his teeth, he leaned her against the nearest, bleeding and withering tree.

"Ichigo," She croaked, her face enamored with dirt, sweat and tears. He could feel her shaking beneath his palms as he held her shoulders. Her eyes were so similar to the time she was threatened with imprisonment by the Soul Reapers; and when the Dark Ones had captured her. "You shouldn't have come. M-Malice is...is so much stronger than I feared. I-I tried to fight him but...I couldn't-"

"It's okay," Ichigo quietly assured her, stroking his hand over her bangs gently. He couldn't smile, even as her eyes looked pleadingly up at him. He was too mad to put up an act. His eyes were drawn to a fierce scowl and his lips were put into a visible closed sneer. He wouldn't know it, but a thin blue haze ebbed off his body, channeled by the Resolve that made his hazel eyes glow a bright azure. "I'm going to make the asshole who hurt you pay for this."

In an instant, Ichigo left her side, with her hands reaching out, begging him with a final, "ICHIGO! He'll KILL you! Don't leave me alone...again."

As she dragged her body against the bleeding surface of the tree to weep, Ichigo's body contorted into a blue streaking blur. The world spun around him, trees whirring past him and ashen earth erupting past his form. He rushed headlong into the heart of this horrid cataclysm, the thing that unraveled the world's fabric of reality before his eyes. Breaching the edge of the effected woods, he saw a clearing of scorched earth and a massive crater where the yellow pyre thrust up into the sky.

It came off a walking corpse of a man, blood and pus oozing from burns to exposed muscle tissue. A raised hand held a blood crusted saw weapon, made out of someone's spine with the skull attached making up the pommel of the weapon's handle. A mighty swing was released as his voice gave a shrill cry, with words he barely made out during his approach.

The Hanta must have sensed him at the absolute last second, for the blade stopped at Uryu's prostrate form's head. Turning on his heel, he barely had time to rear his weapon horizontally across before a butcher blade's edge crashed into its flat. Eyes widened and his heels leaving the earth as the full force of the Substitute's momentum and Reiatsu bludgeoned into him like a bullet train. Passing over the Quincy's head, he'd land into the rising wall of the impact crater and through it, digging a surface trench for several meters from the surprise strike he narrowly absorbed.

"Ic-Ichi-go?" Uryu murmured, his body halting its shaking and his bare eyes looking up. Ichigo's Shikhakusho flourished from the jerking halt his entry made, his hair tussled and breath let loose through his nostrils. Lowering his Zanpakuto to his side, the Strawberry looked down at his classmate and comrade-in-arms with an air of empathy. Gripping the ground with his hands, he lowered his gaze back down, tears welling up in his eyes and letting loose to the ground beneath him. "F-Forgive me, Ichigo. I delayed him the best I could but...I'm just not strong enough, it seems."

"It doesn't matter. You can worry about that later," Ichigo reassured him, bending down to squat, his sword resting on his shoulder and his free hand reaching out to grab hold of the Quincy's shoulder. "I'll bring you over to Senna. You two deserve a break."

"THE QUINCY BITCH ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE, ICHIGO KUROSAKI!" A guttural roar sounded, making Ichigo and Uryu look with alarm at the sudden shockwave the Hanta let loose from a roar of his own voice.

Just as quickly as it was released, the pair disappeared, and the spot they once were moments before was obliterated by the shrieking sound wave. Grinding his visible, bleeding teeth and gums together, the cadaver bodied Hanta pulled himself out of the trench and leaped up into the air. Gaining altitude, he attempted to locate them with his Reikaku.

"Looking for me?" Ichigo's voice sounded from behind him, making the Hanta's eyes widen with surprise. Turning around, Ichigo's blade met his own, his Reiatsu crashing against his with a swirling maelstrom of blue and mustard formed a twister with themselves in its eye. The torn landscape was ripped up at the seams, dragging away chunks of dirt with foliage turned ash, crackling energies surging from the two's exerting power.

The Soul Reaper bared his teeth and held his ground while Malice grinned past his body's pain and injuries. In a turning twist of their weapons, they smashed them together with enough force to break apart the tornado, a warping bubble of azure and gold quaking the earth and whipping through the sky. The metal of their two spiritual catalysts crashed again and again, creating effects that sounded akin to thunder with flashes of their Reiatsu echoing throughout the visible horizon.

Despite all appearances, the Hanta's power continued to swell and Ichigo's fueled by his own anger tempered Resolve. The fight was far from over; it had just begun!

* * *

It felt hot.

She could feel herself release all of her anger. All of her despair. All of her determination and will within a single exhale and she became consumed and surrounded by a incredible heat. It would almost feel like a hundred degrees, but she felt no need to sweat and had no trouble breathing. In fact, the feeling made her excited, alive, and empowered.

Once Tatsuki opened her eyes to the world around her, she remembered she was in the middle of a battle, and heard a faint cry before being surrounded in heat, before it turned into a brief howl of agony. She looked down at her feet, seeing what covered them instead of bare soles made of skin is fiery sandals, her white Gi that led up from her legs to her chest and arms is now encompassed in a fiery red set of what looked like a cloak of dark crimson that stretched down to her ankles and covered over a red Gi, with bright red flames dancing around it. Her hair itself became different, having become longer, going all the way down to the end of her spine. Her eyes themselves were alight of golden-crimson, showing her newfound Resolve to fight and a smile encroached onto her features.

"This is badass!" Tatsuki yelled out, nearly laughing at how she looked, and the power flowing through her.

The nearby Hanta stood uneasy and tense, ready for retaliation and for a counter attack.

"What the Hell just happened?" One of Kuroi's compatriots asked incredulously, taking a slight uneven step backwards.

"This human had nearly no Spiritual Power! Where did this strength coming from?!" The other one hissed over to Kuroi, the latter stroked his chin, looking curiously at Tatsuki.

"Spiritual Resonance," He muttered, earning the one on his right with the most fear out of the two a wide-eyed confused look, before he continued. "Back when our target, Ichigo Kurosaki became a Soul Reaper, his enormous bursts of Spiritual Energy and constant presence near his Spiritually adept or gifted friends caused them to awaken Spiritual Powers they didn't know they had at a moment of greatest will or resolve. I'm certain, this is what's happened yet again, but this time, his mere residual aura left a imprint on her so strong its forcefully unlocked a power we have never seen before."

"I'll do it," The now scarred Hanta said ahead of Kuroi, crouching down and spreading his machetes to either side of him, "She's nothing to me."

"You do realize if you're wrong, you'll die and the Master won't forgive you this time?" Kuroi asked, a tinge of concern entered his stoic, unmoved voice.

"I know, but, if I live and I don't kill her, her burns will only add to my shame," He confessed as his teeth bared, his eyes narrowed and locked onto Tatsuki's. "What worth will I have if I don't try to sacrifice my own life, if even to allow you an outside look at her powers? At least my death won't be meaningless!"

"Danzo," Kuroi whispered, suddenly faltering in his speech when a sudden chill entered the air. The unnatural cold that made them perspire sweat brought a thick miasma of crimson to overcast the environment. Keigo and Mizuiro, who had been hiding by an overturned vehicle, looked up to see a swirling clouds of mustard hue that snapped blood colored lightning over their heads, wailing cries released with every thunderclap. The mortification petrified them, while only Tatsuki, the Soul Hunter and the Hanta absorbed the feeling in with their own expressions of shock and alarm.

"This Reiatsu...is this Malice's doing?" Kuroi muttering aloud, having never felt such palpable power from the other significantly stronger Hanta battling the other defenders of Karakura Town. Was this what being outclassed felt like?

Danzo felt rattled as well, and in the confusion he had lost sight of Tatsuki. His eyes blinked as he saw a breath of fire was released where she was one moment...then a blazing fist coming from his left, hitting him directly in the jaw. Again, he was covered by the blazing flames, causing him to howl in pain as the force of the punch his made his body careen across the parking lot.

Danzo managed to stab one of his machetes into the ground below him, slowing his speed for a moment before she came upon him again. Crouched low, she fired off a barrage of fiery punches into his chest, causing him to vomit blood that boiled upon proximity of her flames, evaporating into sickly mist upon contact.

 _"I-Impossible! How can she…be this fast?"_ Danzo thought hazily, desperately swinging his machetes towards her neck. Despite his burnt and bruised condition, he moved his blades in a silver blur towards her neck, a testament to his skill. Danzo watched as his blades moved within a hair's breadth of her skin, his blades began searing just being near them…until she vanished. A blur of motion and a violent exhale of fire exploded where Danzo stood, ushering a loud cry of outrage and pain.

Kuroi covered his eyes as did his two subordinates as the molten flames expanded in a significant blast radius, the smoke and tongues stretching out far enough for him to smell ozone and feel the heat. His lip curled into a grimace at his comrade's fate. He however became surprised at what he saw next.

"Her speed…was…augmented…it seems," Danzo whispered, his entire body burnt to the second layer of skin from head to toe, both pair of swords blazing hot, leaving his hands scarred around the handles as black as the asphalt that was around him; a thick layer of steam perspired into the air around him, almost making his body to appear as a mirage. "Do me a favor, Kuroi," He whispered one last time, before closing his eyes and falling face forward. "Kill…the bitch…for…me."

As his face struck the pavement in a sickening crack giving way to the rest of his body becoming limp, the soft clattering of his blades. A foul stench filled wind blew over the corpse through the parking lot, with Tatsuki looking on with both disgust and a tinge of regret. She had never killed someone before, but the memory of him coming after her and the undeniable fact she would've been next kept her boiling blood tempered. Walking past him, she readied herself into another fighting stance, daring the next of the Hanta to come after her.

"That only took 10 seconds," She boasted, the threat in her voice aiming to shake them up, complemented by her blazing glowing irises fixated on the next pair of Hanta. "I hope, for your sake, you'll last longer!"

"That we will," Kuroi replied coolly, taking his hand onto the handle of his weapon, walking steadily forward as he unsheathed it. "You defeated my right hand man. Lord Ryoken won't be pleased about this, but I guess its expected when you face an unknown. Allow me to introduce myself before I claim your life," As the blade finished exiting the sheathe, a low hum emanated from weapon as his stare looked deep into Tatsuki's burning eyes, showing pupiless onyx orbs that looked as if the abyss was within his sockets. "I am Kuroi, the emissary for your death. Shall we begin?"

"Let's!" Tatsuki said with a loud yell, stepping forward before propelling herself with a mighty gust of fire behind herself, the movement itself barely recognizeable for his two subordinates but Kuroi caught it in time.

In a backpedaling movement, he used his blade to parry the intensely resilient and hot fists of Tatsuki's, their movements nearly unrecognizable, showing true testament to his own swordsmanship and Tatsuki's augmented martial artist prowess. The pair's Reiatsu blew mightily around the lot, the asphalt cracking under the pressure and the wind whipping about with tendrils of black and red snapping around them. The display made the two Hanta standing nearby back away uneasily, unsure if they should participate in this duel.

"Despite this new power," Kuroi managed to speak while parrying Tatsuki's intense, well-aimed punches, "I must commend you for your mastery of hand-to-hand combat. For a human to match my sword strikes with only your fists is truly a remarkable feat indeed."

"I AM the 2nd strongest martial artist in Japan," She boasted indignantly, flipping back and catching the Hanta by his chin, thrusting him up into the air; then he was propelled back when she thrust back with a raised leg burying into his abdomen, causing Kuroi to fly backwards towards a car. Unlike what she expected, the Hanta changed trajectory and somersaulted over it,adeptly using the momentum of her attack to gain distance from her. Not letting up, Tatsuki launched a palm thrust against the vehicle, releasing a mighty blast of fire to burst forth enough to encompass the transport in flames while throttling it off like a catapulted piece of debris towards Kuroi. "And I don't take kindly to flatterers who aim to wreck my town!" She added with a shout.

As the car came close, Kuroi closed his eyes, pointing his sword towards the ground and…let it go.

" **Embrace the Void** ," He whispered ominously, the blade slipping into his own shadow, causing an eerie ripple that extended to the shadows behind him and all around the tarmac within a single second. Within the that split second it entered the darkness, a number of invisible cutting sounds could be heard with no weapon visible -only faint black outlines- as the fiery debris was cut into dozens of pieces. As the car's burning parts clanked to the ground, Tatsuki gasped with surprise that Kuroi stood unharmed by her assault, finally hearing his words that came after dispelling her attempt on his life. " **Mansei Kage.** "

"What the Hell?!" Tatsuki gasped aloud. Her surprise had dampened the flames around her, becoming less bright and more akin to a warm flame than a raging inferno at this revelation.

"You must be confused, I'm sure," Kuroi surmised with a cool and even tone. "You must be curious as to why your enemies have Zanpakuto at all, aren't you?"

Tatsuki thought about it for a few moments as he asked this question. The beings who attacked her all seemed to have something resembling beings she's seen before; the Arrancars and the Soul Reapers most prominently. The feeling of Reiatsu being released was an uncanny similarity, akin to some other presences she could now feel more clearly across the whole of her home town.

"There is a special reason why there are those of the Hanta's ranks have Zanpakuto," Kuroi explained, his eyes ebbing vapors of shadow as he continued to tell her. "Our Master, Lord Ryoken Junta, is one of the few Demons in Hell who's concocted this particular method. Whether if you've met other Hanta serving someone else, this is the one common thing you will find in the creation of Hanta. We are the merging of two essences into a specific type of mortal form. Our physiology, by its cursed nature, cannot enter the World of the Living without the use of a special cloth that can possibly be torn and force us back to the World of the Damned. To answer this dilemma, we are given faux bodies, not too unlike what Soul Reapers use to suppress their Reiatsu and interact with those in the World of the Living. Do you know what bodies we use while here, in the World of the Living?"

A sudden chill ran down Tatsuki's spine, ignoring the passive heat of her new powers. She knew almost instinctively what he was going to say before the words left his lips.

"Humans," He answered with a remorseless tone.

"YOU BASTARDS!" She roared aloud, rushing towards him with a fist upraised and launching a fireball at the Hanta.

Kuroi raised a hand towards her, the shadows surrounding him rippled before rising up into a black smooth wall. As the flames washed ineffectively over the glass-like surface, the dark surface protruded bladed tendrils in serpentine motion, sinuously twirling around in the air with lethal intent. Seeing the defensive wall's attack made the fiery martial artist somersault backwards, parrying any that drew near her with her wrists and ankles.

"If you hate what we are, then end my life and my subordinates!" Kuroi goaded her, crossing his arms, and now bore a hint of a smirk on his lips "If you can."

Tatsuki felt the fire around her almost too hot, realizing that her raw emotions powered her the more she thought about it. Right now, she was more than pissed. She was outright furious, and would gladly beat him to a bloody, crispy pulp.

"I'll make you regret ever stepping foot in here!" Tatsuki yelled out to him, as their battle continued.

Meanwhile, as the pair continued to do battle, another duo had continued to brandish their weapons against each other. The adept Soul Hunter, Ryo and the high ranking Hanta, Asar Santiago.

"Well well," The Hanta, spoke with intrigue and less irritation than he did before. His body sported scratches, burns, and rips on his white coat, metal boots marred by intense energy. However, despite his unseemly state, he looked like a grievious injury had yet to be dealt to him since Ryo had launched his Shikai's signature attack. "You're certainly full of surprises."

Ryo spun his scythe around his head before leaping towards him off of the tarmac, leaving a gust of wind and dust in his wake. His cloak whirled around him as his black scythe swung towards the Hanta with incredible speed and accuracy.

Asar made a step backwards, a wide feral smile adorned his as the blade hummed mere inches from his throat, before raising a hand towards Ryo's chest, being bathed in red light and a glow emanated his eyes. " **Imperius Numeral 23, Vermiculus Carcere!** " As his words were spoken, while Ryo spun his scythe again, a large net of crimson energy fired and moved around his form, expanding to encompass a five by five meter radius.

"Ha!" Asar laughed aloud, landing on the ground again with the glowing prison before himself, boating proudly. "This is one of the highest forms of Spell Prisons of the Imperius Numerals. You could almost compare it to a level 80 of the Soul Reaper's Kido."

As there was no sound made within the prison, Asar grinned toothily with victory in his heart, turning briefly to see Tatsuki engaged in combat with the other Hantas.

"I must say, that IS a unique form she has donned. I'd almost say that this particular spiritual power she has awakened has to do with empathetic energy delved deep within herself and crossed between her resolve to fight and her iron will. I'll enjoy studying her far more than I will with you-" He became cut off as the prison began to shake and then crack all over, high pitched whines of protest came from the energy's restraints before it all cracked into dozens of pieces!

"T-That should be impossible! What kind of power is that?!" Asar shouted with alarm. His eyes widened further as he saw the pieces of the crimson prison began withering into an energy stream, flowing into the now red blade of Ryo's scythe.

"I see," His eyes narrowed at the energy humming within the blade of the scythe, stepping backwards before remembering the violent flash of red light that appeared the last time when he saw the Zanpakuto. "You break down the bonds of Reishi and reform them into an energy supply for your Zanpakuto, giving your weapon's ability to literally _reap_ incoming energy as well as _sow_ it back at your foes. A deliciously terrifying power, but alas," He smiled with regained confidence, spreading out his arms as he raised hands towards his target, "it won't work on me!"

"We shall see," Ryo's dark, liquid voice broke out, his silver eyes glared violently at him as suddenly his own Reiatsu rattled the atmosphere and quaked his surroundings.

Asar gathered his own Spiritual Energy within his gauntlets, letting the etchings on the metal glow remarkably, "Come then, Soul Hunter! The next time you launch that technique will be the last!"

They both charged again, Ryo holding his scythe aloft with the handle sticking downwards and the scythe blade appearing to be pointing in the opposite direction, while Asar began summoning what appeared to be a pair of crimson bastard swords.

Once they solidified, he began flurrying his blades, sparks and energy crackled and hummed in the air as their weapons struck repeatedly. Time and again, both weapons nearly hitting their mark but only managing to score pieces of clothing or inflict minor scratches on each other.

As Ryo repelled the blades he made a soundless blurring motion, escaping Asar's left blade moving towards his neck, before reappearing above him, the humming of his scythe became loud and ominous, making the next attack one that would seem to be point blank.

 _"Can't get hit by that!"_ Asar thought with alarm, making sure he avoided the swipe by blurring away, a hissing noise in exhale, before reappearing a good distance away, stunned about something. Ryo's blade only hit the ground before he moved fast again, Flash Stepping above Asar while twirling his scythe above him.

"Nice try!" Asar said aloud with a delighted snarl, throwing both blades in a single direction, causing a wide crimson fissure of energy to fire upwards, cutting through Ryo's cloak and showing a quite shocked look.

But within a blink, all that remained was a black cloak that became torn in half, causing Asar to gasp in surprise.

"This is-"

"-the end," Ryo finished for Asar, as he appeared behind him in a morbid visage of a charcoal skinned man with glowing silver eyes. His own roar added to his swinging of his scythe in a mighty slash, causing a gigantic blast of red energy to envelop Asar's form. He released a guttural scream that echoed throughout the school property and beyond, the arc of blood red light tearing through the tarmac for a considerable distance before petering past the bend of housing and street.

As Ryo held his weapon in the position he had struck, he looked with surprise at a living Asar, lying prone and scorched from the technique hitting him dead-on. Beneath the dissolved cloak was a star-patterned set of armor, cracking and withered away from the Reishi's sheer force. As the Hanta looked up at Ryo with curiosity, despite his circumstances, he mused aloud to the Soul Hunter, "So…that's what you look like…underneath that cloak of yours…huh?"

"Any last words before I reap your body back to the fiery pits?" Ryo inquired morbidly.

"You think…this is over? Hehehehehehehahahahaha!" He laughed in a near maniacal tone, as his own body began to blink ominously, the stars on his chest and back began to pulsate over and over, "This…body is a puppet! A safety precaution if you will…in the event I might…be defeated by…unforeseen events out of my grasp. Hahaha…but let me tell you something, Soul Hunter," He gleefully looked back at him, whispering something in the air…something indistinct but actually made Ryo grimace and close his eyes, before leaping away.

In the last cackles of Asar's 'puppet' body he turned to dust and withered away to nothing.

Ryo looked sullenly towards where his adversary lied and what he said. As more pulsations were felt of Ichigo and Malice's Reiatsu, he became aware that his Seer may be in need of his aid. He looked over at the young woman battling Kuroi. With a bit of hesitance, he left, sure of himself that she had the best capabilities of defeating her foe. Duty rang in his heart and he knew to fulfill it first. No matter the cost.

* * *

 **AN** : So, one of the biggest changes to this Chapter (other than scenery change, with the battle taking place in the forest in the outskirts) is the atmosphere and the lack of a continued fight at the end. In order to not drag this out and, due to Malice's current state, I want to have the whole finale take place in the next chapter. This upload came far quicker, thankfully, so we are only two chapters away for Redux being concluded and Bleach: Dark Horizon can continue properly.

See you in the next eventual upload!


	11. The Mounted King

**Bathed in Black**

 **I Won't Turn Back**

 **Sheathed In White**

 **I Wield Fright**

 **I Am The Hollow Death**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 **The Mounted King**

* * *

Ichigo didn't know why but something felt off about this enemy of his. Unlike before, each Hanta beforehand had a distinct replication of powers akin to those he was familiar with in the past. His first opponent was modeled on an Arrancar, complete with his own Resurrección and displayed a prowess akin to that of a Shinigamified Hollow, even if it was subdued. The second was something mimicking a Soul Reaper, whose own Zanpakutō had a Shikai released state on top of that which was powerful enough to defeat Senna.

But this man had a power that wasn't a Hollow's or a Soul Reaper's. It was like its own breathing animosity that fed on the emotions animated by the being's own contempt and resentment he had towards his given targets. Past the broken and bloodied body he possessed, there was hardly anything left of him but it hardly mattered to his own capability. Ichigo's own powers were matched or nullified whenever he used his iconic shriek left by anything of his sword or fingers, to even his own voice.

"What's the matter, Ichigo Kurosaki?!" The deranged Hanta swung his sword at Ichigo's, the clash creating a howling thuum that pressured him backwards until his own sword swing's Ken'atsu canceled out the lacerating wind. Raising his spine-aligned blade, his vein-stretched teeth spread into a demented smile, pus and blood oozing from his lid-less left eye while the other barely kept open in the other as little was left holding him together; all the while his body ebbed a rotten mustard dyed light that left a ghastly effigy of wailing eye-less faces swirling and contorting around him like a burning gas. "I thought you were the hottest shit, what with my Master sending me and so many shitheads to come find you! Is this all you're good for?! Covering the asses of those dumbass losers?! What a joke!"

In a predictable fashion, an eruption of ebony-red Reiatsu blasted off the Substitute's body. Just before Malice could pull back his sword, his mangled left eye dilated at the sight of an enormous arc of Reishi thrusting towards him at an alarming velocity. Backpedaling in an air-pelting blast of soil, he let loose a stroke of his blade, his blaze of aura bled Spirit Energy into the current of invisible shrieking air towards the onyx-crimson spear.

As the black current was torn asunder, the nullifying wave failed to stop a black blur thrusting straight into his chest.

"HE-HE THREW IT?!" He ground out, feeling his heels bend back from the force of the butcher weapon piercing his chest out the other side. Spewing out blood and vile ichor, he saw a chain attached to the coil of links around the Reaper's right arm. Snarling, he let out a horrific scream of fury, the sound wave shaking the tether but not undoing it as Ichigo stepped away in a shimmer. Once that attempt was foiled, he felt himself pulled along the link, crashing against the forest floor and smashing through other trees as Ichigo pulled him along his speeding frame.

Sputtering out blood as flesh was further cut and torn, his sword swinging wildly to avoid the worst of it but was still bludgeoned into trunks and the dirt of the hillside he was pulled upon. The seething rage continued to build as a free hand grabbed the hilt, attempting to pull himself free. Succeeding in inches, he'd bounce head over heels and crash against the ground before he'd be hurled up and over into a distant pagoda in the distance. Smashing the construct, he'd growl, finally rid of the blade as it pulled out faux innards and blood with it, causing him to rasp and wheeze at his own organic weakness.

"D-Damn! Dammit! DAMN IT!" He howled, tearing the fabric of all that was around in his impotent rage as his body was reaching its limit. "DO YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH TO KILL ME! DO YOU?!"

A sudden swelling of darkness obscured the light of the damaged pagoda and the hill it rested upon. Looking up, he'd stare open with infuriation and building spite. He could see his target spiraling the chain around in a long circle, dragging currents of Spirit Energy to form a maelstrom till its discus of energy created a large orb of darkness that bled red around its circumference. Crackling ebony bolts of Reishi around the sky, the blood red hue was distorting from the malformation it had captured from Malice's own release of Reiatsu; now changing to a pure twilight of darkness personified.

"Disappear, Malice!" Ichigo snarled, swinging the length of chain in a wicked arch of sparking links, shearing the skyline downward towards Malice as a black wave of darkness howled towards its quarry. Even as Malice let loose his whole power, eroding the ground and breaking apart infrastructure his feral screams and furious sword strike only staved off the inevitable connection; leading to the absolute obliteration of the hill top.

" _ **MANGETSU!**_ "

* * *

Heaving with heavy breaths, Tatsuki felt like she was reaching her limit. The flames that had vibrantly flowed around her was starting to dim and her boosted stamina was beginning to diminish. While her experience and skill in martial arts allowed her to compensate the lack of prowess using her newfound powers, but the elongation of her battle against a skilled warrior such as the one facing her began to wane her effectiveness.

"I see your newfound powers are taking its toll on you," Kuroi noted aloud, his right hand still extended outright with his other one pocketed within his coat, his impassive stare unknowingly pissing off Tatsuki further, "It's only natural. No matter what your influence or crutch you humans use, you are after all, mortal. There is no way for a mere insect such as yourself to reach the heights that the Hanta can."

"That's funny coming from a guy who needs a human body to make this happen," Tatsuki spoke derisively, allowing herself to recharge what stamina she had while keeping the banter up. She was waiting for an opening to present itself, smirking in notation of her own comment. "I thought you guys were better than Hollows and Soul Reapers. All I see is a bunch of hacks who couldn't cut it be given a bunch of shiny toys, only to be taken out like amateurs. That's gotta sting!"

"Your verbal prodding won't shake my resolve so easily, human," Kuroi narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with disapproval. "You can not reach me with your close quarters attacks, and your flames are easily dampened by my shadows. Give up."

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" Tatsuki flared her aura once more, not charging yet, but showing her enemy that she still had strength left.

"I told you, your flames won't reach me-"

" **EL DIRECTO!** "

"-?!" Kuroi found his gaze lurch to his right periphery, suddenly seeing a large Hispanic man with a torn Hawaiian shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a black-red shield-adorned hollow-like arm discharging a pillar of blue-white energy towards him. The explosion ripped apart concrete and burned through the air, further searing a path where the Hanta was, narrowly dashing from the blast wave's light that nearly overtook him.

Kuroi sweated from the proximity of how close he had been to being pulverized. He didn't realize there were other enemies capable of taking him off guard and had a lot of power to boot. He noted the shadow-webbed steel engulfing his proximity was cracked in several places, allowing small glimmers of light to be seen from outside.

"These damned humans are like cockroaches..." Kuroi muttered.

"Chad!" Tatsuki shouted with relief and shock of seeing the man come to her side so suddenly. She was alarmed at the ragged appearance, noting though from a glance up from his feet to his face that his injuries were all but gone from an earlier clash with their common enemy. "What took you?!"

"T-Tatsuki?!" Chad's visible left eye saw Tatsuki's shimmering aura and the spiritual plates of armor hugging her body, as well as the clear sign of red hair and eyes in contrast to her usual appearance. "W-What happened?!"

"There's no time for that, idiot!" Tatsuki waved her hand in emphasis at the shadow-covered dome that began to recede. "I need you do help me beat this guy! Think you can bust out your ultimate attack on him?!"

"You think I was holding back?" Chad blinked in perplexity, wondering how his last attack was considered less than his best. He always considered he fought with full power from the start.

"JUST KILL THIS BASTARD, OKAY?!" Tatsuki comically shouted, waving her arms at Kuroi in emphasis.

"Enough of your squabbling," Kuroi growled aloud, moving his right hand towards the two of them, sending a dozen tendrils of shadows rushing towards them, each of them with the edge of tempered steel while having the elasticity of rubber, "its time for you to die."

It was within this moment that Chad and Tatsuki moved together, as if they had done so time and again. It helped to play soccer with each other, and even spar upon occasion when supernatural disasters were present. But now, Tatsuki could use their partnership to her advantage.

Where several shadow tendrils discharged to strike Tatsuki, she would leap up into the air, where several more would converge upon her position.

Chad would use Bringer Light to put himself in between the corporeal-based shadows, using his right arm, _Brazo Derecha de Gigante_ , to repel their strikes, causing a large array of sparks to rain down in emphasis of the hardened reinforcement placed within his transformed arm. Rearing back his left arm, a swift transmutation caused his skin to transmute into a red-white spike aligned limb filled with unimaginable power: _Brazo Izquierda del Diablo_.

Taking the hint, Tatsuki grappled onto the now protected arm and jettisoned herself high into the air, causing her to skyrocket high into the air. Upon the ascent, Tatsuki began gathering all of her bottled feelings and let them boil over the surface. Her body began to glow brighter and hotter, until she was nothing but a scorching flare ascending nearly twenty meters above Kuroi.

It was here that the Hanta realized that Tatsuki was above his reach, and the Fullbringer himself was deflecting the spears of shadows with ease. He tried in vain to throw projectiles of debris around, with flicks of his hands within command, trying to bring them down. But it would all be in vain.

"LET'S END THIS TOGETHER!" Tatsuki shouted out Letting her body descend, her fists outstretched as she aimed herself like a corkscrewing missile towards Kuroi's defenses.

But she wasn't alone.

Free-falling with her, Chad used his right arm to batter the shadows away, shattering them with incredible force as he reared his left arm back, as his fall was matching the same speed as Tatsuki's, thanks to his own Bringer Light momentum.

"T-They're too strong!" Kuroi un-pocketed his other hand, using all of his Spiritual Power to reinforce his Zanpakutō's control over his proximate shadows, layering one sheet of ethereal-steel after another, intending to repel them both.

Tatsuki grinned, as she corkscrewed her body around just bare meters above the growing shadow dome, intending on letting her drop engorge the whole of her enemy's dome.

With a mighty strike, and a powerful exuding projection of flames, Tatsuki shouted out with every fiber of her being, intending on giving everything she got. The flames licked, cracked, and began ebbing the defenses away.

But then came Chad's left fist...

" **LA MUERTE**!" Chad shouted out, as his left fist thrust into the top of the dome, his arm shuddering as it began to releasing its immense power. In effect it produced a terrifying screaming gale released by the electric-kinetic forces of a Hollow-emblazoned pressure to crack through the Zanpakutō dome and slam Kuroi into the ground, allowing the geyser of flames to engorge him as _La Muerte_ struck him simultaneously.

" _I see...so their strength...is stronger...together..._ " Kuroi realized, even as his body was smashed and scorched asunder, as a deafening explosion rocked the school parking lot, sending a pressurized gale of force that ripped up all of the remaining tarmac and dig deep into the earth itself.

Within the waking pause after they crushed their opponent, Chad sighed, realizing how deep the crater had become and the shape it took from his technique, "Damn...I guess we went a little overboard..."

"Hah...hah...hah," Tatsuki panted, her flames evaporating and her clothes, body, and hair resumed its normal appearance as she fell to her knees amidst the ashes of the force she unleashed. Smiling, she couldn't help but look up at Chad's giant form and grin cockily. "Nonsense. I think we worked perfectly in sync, don't you think?"

"I think we worked a little too well," Chad spoke glumly, even as he reached down and pulled Tatsuki up to her feet. "It seems like the school will be closed for a long time thanks to our combo."

"Stop being such a downer, Chad. We kicked ass!" Tatsuki emphasized with a swing of her free arm, even as they got to the top of the impact area.

"Well, regardless, I think you should take it easy, Tatsuki," Chad spoke while eyeing her with empathy. "I think you may have used a little too much spirit energy in your battle...if you fight any longer, you could put your life at risk-"

"If my city needs my help, I'm going to help! You can't talk me out of this one, Cha-"

What followed, would silence the both of them.

In the distance, the two of them saw a brilliant flash of light within their periphery vision, followed by a thunderous explosion. In the distance, the large lush forest that was just a few miles away from the local temple, detonated within a black-red sphere, sending a huge gale of force in excess that ripped trees out of the earth before shattering them, and its final distance sending a gale force wind that would cause the two of them to skid across the street.

But within the gale force winds, both Chad and Tatsuki could immediately tell what transpired. It lingered within the stinging air currents, latent crackling shocks of Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure, responsible for the distant explosion.

"I-Ichigo?!" Chad uttered aloud in disbelief, as the light he saw and the force that was revealed was entirely his doing. "What technique was that?!"

"Idiot! He's going to go nuclear on this town if he keeps this up!" Tatsuki snarled aloud, as she held her arms over her face. "Was the gym not enough?!"

"Good to see you're safe," A well known voice projected with relief. The two turned around, seeing Kisuke Urahara walking towards them with Benehime unsheathed, dry blood still ebbing off the weapon to indicate his own batch of unknown horrors he dispatched.

"Mr. Urahara!" Tatsuki immediately looked to Kisuke with a demanding stare, flailing her arms in heated emphasis of her frustration. "What the Hell has been going on?! Who are these guys and why are they attacking Karakura Town-?"

"They're after Ichigo."

"What?!" Tatsuki immediately reared back, now fathoming the display of might from earlier. "Who?! Why?!"

"I can't say I know all the details, but from what I've gathered, they're part of a cabal of damned souls that had been on the verge of death or have been sentenced to Hell. Creatures called Demons have contracted them to carry out missions, such as this one, beyond their reach in the World of the Living."

"D-Demons?!" Chad spoke out in amazement and fear.

"They've certainly sent quite the arrangement of freaks to deal with Ichigo, showing just how serious they're getting in acquiring him," He explained as he kept looking into the distance at the smoldering crater that had been produced by Ichigo. "With the way things are going, I doubt that whatever barrier to keep their activities unnoticed will hold. The Soul Society will be coming shortly to investigate the damage...and that's when things will get ugly."

* * *

Ichigo's descent was a slow, cautious one. If there was one thing he learned from his boundless experience over the years, and from this man's initial appearance, was that physical injuries didn't entirely determine the factor of victory in a fight. He was living proof of that, after all, more than he'd care to admit that. Tenacity and madness went hand in hand.

The effects of his attack was revealed when his feet touched the vapor ridden earth. No longer was this a beautiful hill covered by woodland that could see the distant horizon of Karakura Town. No, this was a flat piece of smoldering charcoal, with nary timber apart from the field of ash and the ripped timber that was part of the leveled acres their battlefield had spanned. In its epicenter was a festering pile of equally black flesh, pulsing organs thumping ominously, and charred bones still contained by the hideous energy holding itself together.

"Damn, you're still not dead?" Ichigo noted aloud in a dry tone, as his feet touched the ash-laden earth and saw the scorched Malice who had somehow survived his attack.

"D-D-Damn...you..." He wheezed out, as his tearing tendons clenched the bone-exposed digits together, causing audible crunches of calcium and muscle in a grisly display of unmitigated contempt. "This...isn't...over!"

"I don't know if you noticed, but I think you're going to die," Ichigo remarked with an annoyed sigh, arching his the flat of his sword onto a shoulder as he observed the sight with almost pity. No matter how much of a good fight he'd put up, the injuries he sustained from his previous battles wore on him beyond his own will and he was falling at the seams. The Substitute Soul Reaper perceived Malice wouldn't be enacting anymore heinous acts in the immediate future, at the very least. "if you got something to get off your chest, I'd suggest speaking now. I'd like to know why you guys are so interested in my soul-"

Before the words could escape his mouth, Ichigo felt that contempt begin to boil up further. The dull mustard seamed at every corner of his rotting body, the decay becoming more embroiled with this rotten light that was rising rapidly with every grotesque pulse of the organs beneath the surface of charred bones and muscle. A rasping laugh breached the air with the light, the sky itself swirling around and thundering with the quaking pressure of his power that was bursting to the surface.

"I'm afraid you underestimated me," Malice began to snarl, his eyes popping, replaced by orbs of gross yellow light as the rest of his body snapped with the pressure of his power exploding the shell of his body. "ICHIGO KUROSAKI!"

With an instinctive backpedaling motion, Ichigo narrowly avoided a sudden projection of dark violet, black spiritual power explode to the surface. It struck the skyline high above, visibly shattering an unknown substance that had been erected over the vast kilometers of airspace around Karakura Town.

A damning wail sent chills down Ichigo's spine as the color seemed to vanish from the environment's surroundings. Nothing but a putrid yellow bubbled up and burst forth like popping luminous cancer. With each new contorted burst came a new limb, a new appendage, and a change to the exterior. The laugh echoed in a raw symphony of dread as the screams let loose shook the sky and distended the ash that swirled around in an unholy baptism of the reborn being.

As the light faded, color returning to his surroundings, Ichigo saw something that made his stomach turn and his skin ebb cold sweat.

He possessed bulbous eyes, sunken within his pale skull, the blood vessels practically glowed with every beat of his heart, causing his iris to darken and brim with bloodlust. He lacked any hair or clothes, as his body was covered with a sheen layer of bone fragments that made a makeshift armor around its body, while showing every gnarled and withered muscle behind it. With two blood-rusted iron shackles on either hand, something insidious appeared to be prominent along his whole body. His palms, his midriff, and his entire jawline was filled with jaws retaining sharpened teeth, all hissing with a synchronized, depraved voice.

" _ **You're going to die a slow, painful death, Ichigo Kurosaki! Prepare to face the power of my J**_ _ **ō**_ _ **kan!**_ " His voice had gotten guttural, like glass cracked in between each syllable, and he's barely discernible from an animal or a sentient being.

"Ah hell-" Ichigo had barely any time to swear, before Malice reared his newly transformed body back before screaming with a ghastly tone. It sent a rippling shockwave that took the Substitute right off his feet and blinded him with the painful force that tore and vibrated his soaring body. As he howled with pain, his body would be sent across the immense crater, tumbling head over heels before smashing through a toppled trees in the thick wake of their destructive battle.

"I didn't! Even have time! To react!" Ichigo grimaced aloud to himself, struggling to get to his feet. Blood slipped from his eyes, nostrils and ears, the feeling of his head gonging along his writhing insides made him cough up ichor in addition. It wasn't even a sheer power difference, but his own ability surpassed his reflexes or his reaction timing.

But he wouldn't be able to fight back so easily.

The transformed monstrosity feigned teleportation before his eyes, whipping a fist into Ichigo's gut. Feeling the air push out of his bruised lungs, he'd suddenly feel another extraordinary explosion of agony as the wailing scream exploded blindingly at the point of contact. In the shockwave, he was thrown in a corkscrew spin, flying aimlessly through more downed timber and soil, kicking up huge clouds of earth and dust, ending in a crater of a hill visible to the town not far away.

Malice didn't let up, slamming onto Ichigo's proned back, causing the crater to deepen and shatter with the kinetic backlash. In his hurtle back, the Soul Reaper halted with the flat side of his blade from, grinding himself to a stop through sheer effort. Appearing before his halted prey, he'd lance out with a shrieking kick, gleaning out his deserved scream of pain from the Strawberry, continuing to strike him without giving him respite.

" _ **THAT'S IT!**_ " He howled gleefully with another punch.

" _ **LET ME HEAR YOUR PAIN!**_ " Another backhanded swipe.

" _ **LET ME BATHE IN YOUR AGONY!**_ " A shout that blasted the Shikhakushō and shredded part of his skin with layers of Reiatsu covering his body.

" _ **LET ME REVEL IN YOUR SUFFERING!**_ " Following a snap kick that forced a geyser of snot and blood out of a crunching stroke of his foot.

" _ **LET ME FEEL ALIVE AS I KILL YOU**_ -"

Just as the hole deepened into a near quarter the size of what was the force he employed for the Mangetsu, Ichigo swung his blade to meet the armored foot of Malice, sending him sprawling onto his backside.

" **GETSUGA** ," Ichigo began as he stepped forth with a heavy step, cracking the ground beneath him as the swirls of black-red energies, as his eyes glared heatedly even as his mouth and skin was covered in bloody scrapes from the damage he withstood, " **TENSHŌ**!"

A wide curtain of black-red energy flowed from his Zangetsu, aiming to overcome his nemesis with a single blow. And at first, it appeared to push him back, as his feet scraped across the ground for a good six meters. But then, the deranged voice caused Ichigo's blood to go cold.

"This won't work anymore! Not anymore!" Malice cried out, his skin-splitting jaw stretching in a demented smile. To emphasize the value of his words, he had his hands claw at the Getsuga Tenshō's swiftly before it popped, sending a wave of wind in the wake of the explosive energy's destruction.

This was an uphill battle if Ichigo ever saw one. Before him stood a monster that had a direct counter to his techniques of discharging Spirit Energy, and had a power that dealt damage of incredible toll to his body. But the memory of his home, the words spoken to him by Uryu and Senna, pulsed in the back of his mind. Grounding his teeth, he roared out as ebony tongues of Reiatsu ignited once more along his body as he geared himself in preparation to continue fighting.

" _I will survive! I will win...even if I have to crush my own body in the process...I WILL WIN!_ "

* * *

"Is this everyone?" Kisuke asked, looking to the gaggle of people of close worth and familiarity to Ichigo huddled up near his partially ruined house, right at the front drive way. While some had been directed and taken to his reinforced shop, where Ururu and Jinta were held up, Tessei departed to assist in the further deployment across Karakura Town's defense. Most of them have been routed or annihilated with only the sturdiest and strongest still in play. He had even felt an unexpected guest from Hueco Mundo arrive not long after the Hantas began their assault; but decided now wasn't the time to mention _her_.

"Yeah, feels about right," Isshin noted, looking on as Orihime was doing her best to use Shun Shun Rikka on as many people at once as possible. Among those that needed it the most were Uryu and Senna, having been severely wounded in their savage encounter with Malice. Tatsuki and Chad just needed to recover their strength, but beyond that they were the least scathed. Keigo was still in shock, regardless of his prior experience with Aizen, and Mizuiro was taking it in stride with the others present.

"That power seems to be problematic," The hat-adorned man grimly stated, tipping the now sealed weapon in its cane form at the brim of his hat. "Think we should step in?"

"Nah, he can handle it," He nodded with affirmation. "He needs this."

"You do realize he could die if this goes too far?"

"He hasn't regained his full spirit yet. All he needs is one push to the edge," He confirmed with a crossing of his arms, smiling wryly in an almost knowing way. "That boy's their target, but he's our Ace in the Hole. Always has been. I'm going to have faith in my son to see this through, like the last time."

"You know, for all its worth, you're not as terrible a father as you let on," Kisuke commented with a small smile.

"Don't let him know that," He intoned, chuckling a bit as he winked at his colleague in crime. "Otherwise, how can I keep my flawed image?"

Listening behind the barrier, Senna couldn't help but hear the distant and ever-present wails in the distance that cascaded haunting gales towards them. While it was harmless from the distance, it made the recovering girl shiver in trepidation. It was far more fierce and dangerous than it was before. If Ichigo was facing Malice at an even greater level of power, then he was truly alone in this ordeal.

No matter the faith her friends and family had, she slowly closed her eyes and folded her hands in a silent prayer.

" _Please, come back to me, Ichigo!_ "

* * *

"HRAAAH!" Ichigo yelled out as he swung his Getsuga Tenshō in sync with a downward slash towards Malice. The black wave repelled his quarry across the earth, blasting debris around, enabling Flash Step at his opposing flank. Swinging his behemoth weapon he'd catch the Hanta in the shoulder, cutting it open through the bone-fragmented armor and spewing out dark ichor through his well aimed strike.

Malice howled in a retaliatory swing of his injured appendage towards Ichigo, discharging another stream of sonic energy that forced the swordsman to raise his blade defensively. The bludgeoning force careened him by the heels through the earth and allotted debris of bark or foliage, sending spewing in tidal waves in a haphazard fashion.

The toll of his continued fight wore on the Substitute Soul Reaper. His chained-arms had cuts and bruises between the seams the links didn't cover, his face was bruised and bleeding past his nostrils and ears, his chin and lips soaked in burgundy from what he had to hack up from his horrid internal damage. Shreds to his Shikhakushō was just an addition to the injuries his body gained from the physical batterings he took from the Hanta's fists, nails, and feet that stacked onto the dreadful wailing cries of his nemesis' grotesque mouths.

Malice himself had received a fresh series of wounds himself, but nothing apart from discomfort hindered the maddeningly durable brawler like him. If anything he was thriving off the pain of his current state, and furthered enhanced his performance. He actually seemed to be thrilled with every passing moment of his battle, even if the prospect of death hanging close.

"Seems you're reaching your limit, Soul Reaper! HA!" Malice cackled, as he flung his hands back in emphasis. On cue, his torso protruding teeth split apart to let loose another devastating shockwave towards his prey's body again.

Timing it to the last second, Ichigo used Flash Step, deftly avoiding the blast of wind-shredding force to move to his enemy's backside. Swinging with both hands, he aimed to cleave the Hanta's torso in half. Malice in turn grinned as his eyes caught sight of his maneuver, crouching down and backflipping over the Substitute's sword and the billowing force of cutting power that followed.

Slamming his wrists together, Malice opened his palm-maws widely, as he smiled in a deranged manner, shouting aloud, " _ **HAAAAA!**_ "

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Ichigo screamed within a searing, blinding wave of pain. He took the full brunt of the shredding wind at point blank, causing his weary body to receive a host of new injuries. His cheeks were cut open, his neck lacerated dangerously close to his jugular, his pectorals down to his abdomen spewing red, and the rest of his being from appendages to his insides agonized with radiating pain.

Too distracted by the stunning torment wracking his body, he didn't fathom movement until it was too late. A hay-maker slammed into his jaw, throwing him in a pinwheel spin before impacting a boulder at the base of the hill they were fighting upon. Groggily picking himself up from the blasted rock and soil, he picked himself up with sword in hand but unwilling to give up.

A sudden, ominous pulse echoed from the back of his mind, whispers that derided him as much as advised him. This silent passage of conversation slipped past the notice of his enemy, and his form grew silent.

Even then, Malice found himself enjoying the sight of Ichigo's torn, bruised, and bleeding body still standing after the punishment he put him through.

" _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's such a delicious sight! Seeing you in such a sorry state, makes me want to gut you even more**_ ," Malice howled out with deranged laughter upon his feet crunching the ruined earth in his approach to his target. He enjoyed the sizzling heat his force had created upon the endless battleground of a once lively woodland. Getting closer proximity to his prey, he looked deathly still, with his hand hanging low and his expression blank. If not for the slow breathing motions his torso made, Malice would almost believe the Substitute died standing. " _ **H** **ad enough ye?! After all the crap you put me through, you better not be!**_ "

"So, what do you say? Are we done fucking around?"

"Yeah," Ichigo began to say, the air warping as fragments of white began to swirl across his face as his irises adopted a golden hue in a sea of black. "I just wanted to test my upper limits. Guess this is as far as I'm able to go, without you."

" _ **What's that?! Is that a threat?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't fucking kid with me!**_ " Malice snarled out, briefly letting out a shrilling high pitched voice before lowering it to an annoyed growl. As he approached he flexed his fists and readied to hit his enemy again. " _ **you're nothing but trash, pu-**_ "

" **Wrong!** "

"- _ **nNNNNGH?!**_ " The Hanta lurched in an arc of white-over-black stroked over his malformed, mouth-protruding chest. In connection, he felt himself overtaken by a sudden whirlwind of pressure, his blood shooting out as he was propelled backwards like a rocket. The boom left behind split the sound barrier, hurling backwards without any sense of direction or control.

Malice tried to right himself, flailing his arms and shooting out a wailing cry from his body's own Spiritual Pressure. In this bubble of pressure, he'd suddenly feel a hand grasp his face. Beyond the splayed digits, he'd see with his wide bulbous eyes as his teeth bared with blood coating them. The mask possessed a pair of horns, protruding forward at an angle from the top with blood-lines of tears from the top over the slits above and below a set of razor teeth. Eyes of glowing gold narrowed at him, making the Hanta pulse with sudden realization of what happened to his enemy.

Before Malice could think straight, the Substitute slammed him into the ground while rushing pell mell across the ruined battlefield. The effect was similar to a missile brushing across the surface of the ocean, as soil was kicked up in a contorted wave of bark, ash and uprooted greenery with the Hanta billowing through all of it. After a kilometer of tearing the demented man through the earth, Ichigo throttled up into the air, taking Malice high into the sky while growling aloud with the distorted tone fitting his current state of mind. The Hanta could barely make it out, but he could see his enemy's skin sinewing together, erasing the sign of bruises and cuts or discolorations across his skin, all while pulsing a secondary Reiatsu over another that multiplied the Reaper's tremendous strength.

" _Are these Hollow powers?! How is he doing this?!_ " Malice thought with sudden trepidation, fathoming the scope of his current predicament with horror just how much stronger his enemy is compared to even his Jōkan!

" **I warned you, Malice,** " Ichigo spoke in a hollowed voice, as he held him by the face high in the air, keeping his sickly appearing jaw closed through sheer strength. " **You should've stayed still and accept defeat! This is what happens when you push it too far!** "

With a chilling yell, he hurtled Malice down with the current of a comet down towards the ground beneath his floating feet. In his wild spinning descent, the Hanta couldn't help but gape as Ichigo held his blade over his head, the blade absorbing his Reiatsu into a potent coat of Spirit Energy that ebbed a luminous body of white trailing of scarlet.

" **Getsuga,** " Ichigo snarled out, swinging his blade down with incredible force, sending a blinding arc of crescent moon, red-white energy, " **Tenshō!** "

A howling mass of swift light raced blindingly towards the falling target, creating a sense of urgency within the damned creature for the first time in ages. As Malice began to slow down to the ground, the arcing blade of energy sped up. Rearing back his arms, he tried one last shout to render the blast inert. It was his only chance to keep himself from possibly being bisected again.

" _ **RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_ " Opening every jaw upon his body, he discharged an immense force of sonic energy, distorting the air and deafening anything below the impending Getsuga Tenshō. The blinding, searing wind struck the oncoming force of energy, causing the two energies to have a standstill. Even as Malice's body rocketed down to the ground, he focused all of his attention upon the incendiary energy bearing upon him.

Mere seconds before striking the ground, the Getsuga Tenshō dispersed, popping and dispersing into thousands of sparks, allowing Malice to crash into the ground with relief with a resounding boom.

* * *

Amid the turmoil, above the shock-ridden city, a streak of lightning strung across the spacial fabric of the World of the Living in a straight, parallel line. Within a brief illumination of forming light, a pair of doors opened in the middle of space, gracing the appearance of the well known Senkaimon. Sliding back with an ominous reverberating sound, four Hell Butterflies flew out into the air with the sound of jingling bells. What followed was four silhouettes, each of them feeling a wave of nostalgia as they looked over the nearly forgotten city they all fought to protect two years ago.

In the distance, as a brilliant flash of light dispersed followed by an ominous boom, the shortest one spoke with a youthful, yet commanding tone, "It seems Kurosaki has decided to make a mess of things. Atypical of someone as brash as him..."

"He wouldn't be Ichigo if he wasn't," The tallest one of the group crossed his arms as he noted the damage and waste that had transpired in their absence. "What do you suppose caused all of this mess? Arrancars?"

"That may be unlikely," A stoic, cold voice emanating from the second shortest of the group spoke with a mature, feminine voice of astute observation. "The air is too thick for mere Arrancars to create. No, this is much more foul and heinous to be their doing."

"This is all rather dull...I feel like we're here for clean-up rather than back-up duty," The second tallest spoke in a sensuous, bored tone as a hand ran through her hair.

"It can't be helped," The shortest one spoke again, turning his head to look at all three of them, before nodding in affirmation. "Let's move! We have to contain the threat before it spreads!"

"Right!" The three spoke in acknowledgement, all four of them preforming _Flash Step_ towards the Substitute, with an unknown mission and purpose as they set their sights for whatever had been causing the disturbance.

* * *

" _ **Hah...hah...hah**_ ," Malice breathed aloud with a smile, as he wrenched his body free from the earthen crater that had formed from his body smashing into it. He had stopped it. Despite the enormous power that had been gained by the Substitute through unknown means, Malice could still breach and overcome the gap.

" _ **You're going to pay for that humiliation, you little bitch!**_ " Malice snarled out as he stood to his feet, scanning the skies and the landscape around himself for the area of which Ichigo could appear or disappear to. " _ **I'm going to find you! And when I do, I'll**_ -"

" **You'll what, punk?** " The Hollowified voice spoke from behind him, having just touched down onto the soft crushed earth with his left hand outstretched, pointing at him as if to mock him.

As Malice turned around to lunge at the source of the voice, Ichigo's finger began projecting a condensed sphere of spirit energy. It grew and grew, until it became the size of a basketball. Within this moment, Malice realized what it was, and only had time to swear aloud, "Oh shi-"

 **VLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!**

"- _ **EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUGH!**_ " Malice screamed aloud in pain, not able to conjure the hyper-vibrations he uses to break apart the energy in time, as a wide silver-colored Cero enveloped his body and tore through the landscape, before exploding into a distant mountain, causing the second deafening explosion to occur that the town could witness.

" _ **Ah...ah...ah**_..." Malice barely breathed beyond the mist, glaring heatedly at Ichigo's black-yellow eyes. He couldn't conjure anymore force, his body has reached its limit. He could try taking him, but the Substitute's newfound Hollow powers made it a problem. " _ **I'm...going to kill you...Ichigo...Kurosaki**_..."

" **So I keep being told,** " Ichigo spoke aloud in his Hollowified tone, but kept it more even and tempered. Tapping his Zanpakutō upon his shoulder, he examined the blackened flesh of Malice and noticed that his power was slowly, and surely, decreasing. With a brief exhale, Ichigo raised a hand up and dispersed his mask in a wave of light and bone, revealing a dry-bloodied but recovered face from the injuries he retained from before. "You're done, Malice. Return to your Master and tell them I'm not interested in dying or handing over my soul so easily," Turning around he waved back at him as he began walking away from the man with resignation. "See ya!"

" _ **Ngggh** **!**_ " Malice could barely control his fury as his target and enemy began walking away. His body bristled with black and violet energy, even as his skin began to peel off, showing his bone and muscle beneath. Left with no option, Malice reared back his arms while condensing his spirit energy solely into his vocal chords, he aimed to use what was left of his body to blast away Ichigo's backside. With one final lunge, Malice ran towards his prey haphazardly, stumbling to the ground as he held his tongue until the last possible second. Ichigo felt his enemy coming and gripped his sword's hilt in readiness as Malice reared back as he was but a mere ten meters behind him.

But Malice's shout would be cut off short.

 _SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK- **BOOM!**_

As what appeared to be a blurring shape drop to the ground a good distance to Malice's left, an elongated series of hooked blades, connected by razor extendable wire, swung down on top of the Hanta's head before he could notice. The sound of crunching bone, tearing flesh, and a shrilling squeak was cut off by the loud crash created by the pressurized force of the razor-whip, sending a wide five meter fissure of upheaving soil from the bifurcated spot.

The sight of his enemy being annihilated so efficiently gave Ichigo pause, earning his attention to the one responsible. Seeing the length of the blade and its familiar craftsmanship, as well as the Spiritual Pressure it resonated, knew whom it belonged to before he saw its owner's smug grin, already grinning with a playful mockery at the Substitute.

"Yo, Ichigo!" Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of the 6th Division, shouted out as he retracted his Shikai blade to its compacted state. Wearing a black bandanna over his forehead instead of his goggles, he looked slightly taller and had a bit more visible ink tattooed onto his skin. Other than that, the red-pony-tailed Soul Reaper looked relatively the same since the Strawberry last saw him. "You should keep your guard up more often!"

"R-Renji!" Ichigo gasped aloud, but wouldn't stop being shocked by the new arrivals.

"It's a good thing we came when we did," Toshirō Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division, landed to Renji's left, followed by his Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, who landed just behind him. While Toshirō hadn't changed visibly much, his new addition to his uniform had been a scarf and slightly more angled bangs of his white hair. Rangiku herself hadn't seem to age or change her look, still wearing her cleavage-exposed uniform while adorning her orange hair with enough conditioning to make it appear as silky as when Ichigo had first encountered her. "I thought you would try and run away from the mess and blame it on the enemy, had we came too much later."

"Hey, there! How's it been going, handsome?" Rangiku greeted Ichigo flirtatiously, much to her superior's chagrin, expressed by the dry look encroaching upon his face.

"Rangiku! Toshirō! You guys came?!" Ichigo called out with relief and joy. Though he had been surprised by their sudden arrival, it wasn't something unexpected, given the nature of their relationship with him.

"They aren't the only ones, you know?" A teasing tone could be heard from behind Ichigo that nearly made his heart stop. Peering over his shoulder, his eyes widened with shock and joy as he saw the short, black haired girl he had first met when everything had changed. One of the few people to keep reappearing in his dreams as often, if not more-so, than Senna herself.

"Hello there, Ichigo," Rukia Kuchiki, Lieutenant of the 13th Division, smiled softly as her dazzling eyes met Ichigo's stunned ones.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, you know that thing of me updating this sooner rather than later, and making this the Finale? Wellllllllllll, turns out I wasn't able to make good on that promise. Whoops! XP I changed the aesthetics and flow of the overall fight to make it more polished but, in the end, this is relatively the same with only some grammar readjustment and wording change. I had fun putting in some more effort beyond my more young, naive self XP But beyond that, I just have one more chapter to wrap things up and explain away the current engagements transpiring; given their strongest guy got beaten, I'll let you know they aren't all going to be beaten this time around.

Apart from that, this is the second to last update on this Redux and soon Horizon will be back on schedule! Whoo-hoo! Get ready for that everybody ;P


	12. The End Is Only The Beginning

**In This Prophecy Fulfilled**

 **Time To Let Rest Those Killed**

 **This Meeting Shan't Be Our Last**

 **In The Coming Tide of the Dark Horizon's Mast**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 **The End Is Only The Beginning**

* * *

Hachigen was in a panic. He wasn't one to simply run away in a fight, but he bore no real offensive abilities to deal with the creature he was engaged with. Not only that but her own abilities surpassed his Bakudo and her speed kept him from being able to mount a sizable barrier to contain her. With the child under one arm, he was all but resigned to simply hide with Kyokko, trying his best to hide all facets of his presence and the child's. Slumped over in the darkness of an alleyway, he couldn't help but feel true terror of the being that was hunting him down. It was beyond even his Hollowfication, and he was the worst match when it came to enemies preferring close quarters engagement.

"Wherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre arrrrrrrrrrrrrrre youuuuuuuuuuuuu?" It drawled out, grinding its gelatin-sheen blades made out of its fingers. The Hanta snarled in a guttural voice, undulating as much as her body did. The blank whites for eyes, angular and jagged, compressed into thin slits as it narrowed its gaze towards where she figured the hiding Soul Reapers' scent lied.

Raising one arm, she endeavored to slash towards the seemingly inconspicuous space-

-right before the daunting presence of Malice had ceased existing.

"Malice?!" She gasped, her face receding to its normal shape that bore more human qualities to it. Her blades for fingers sheathed back into normal appearing ones and the violet-black shapely Hanta turned to look in the direction with fear. "More Soul Reapers...no...Captains are here!"

" _Soul Society has responded?_ " Hachigen thought with a dawning realization. " _It must mean the barrier the Soul Hunters kept around Karakura Town was breached by Ichigo's battle with that one called Malice. They mobilized more quickly than I thought; does that mean they've been secretly monitoring activity without our suspicion?_ "

"Tch!" The liquid-bodied Hanta clicked her tongue, turning away from her quarry while issuing out a verbal warning. "Count yourself lucky that I don't want to be caught in a fight with your allies, fat man. I'll be far more prepared the next time we cross paths, and you won't be so confident then!"

In a shimmer of fast-movement, she disappeared, leaving the larger man to release hold of the Kido and the boy with relief.

"Is...is it over?" The boy finally quivered in asking to his larger savior.

"Yes, child, it is," He answered wearily, his face covered in sweat and his clothes ragged with debris and blood. He was truly at his wits end with his opponent. Now that the Gotei 13 has arrived with reinforcements, the enemies of Hell seem to be retreating, for the moment. Looking to the child, he smiled tenderly and rustled the top of his head with his big hand. "I'll take you back to your family. You'll be safer with them."

"But," He began to ask, his eyes beginning to tear up with remembrance. "What about my dad?"

"Sometimes," Hachigen answered, a sage sadness escaping his voice of someone who knew his pain all too well. "That what we lose, we can never replace. I'm sorry, child, I truly am."

* * *

Standing in the midst of a ashen wasteland, would be five individuals. What used to be a peaceful hillside, resident to beautiful emerald trees and a small temple is now cracked and cratered sporadically. In the more flattened part of the hillside, part of a perfectly carved trench created via Getsuga Tensho, is where these five Soul Reapers had gathered.

"R-Rukia?!" Ichigo choked out from disbelief. The woman who changed his life, who forever helped pave the path that he walked to this day, and the voice he heard among others in his dreams. That woman, was now standing there in front of him, among other comrades of the Soul Society.

"What's with the look, Ichigo?" Rukia asked with a chuckle, smiling back at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Its like you just saw a ghost, or something..."

Lowering his head, Ichigo's visage became overcast with an unreadable shadow that kept her from understanding his emotions.

After awhile, Rukia bent her head down to look up at his face, asking him curiously, "You okay, Ichig-"

"DUMBASS!" Ichigo responded, as he comically slammed his right fist down atop Rukia's head, bearing protruding veins that throbbed with wild abandon along his knuckles and forehead.

The others that were gathered seemed aghast. Toshiro twitched with irritation, but was more than reserved enough to have steeled himself for such a immature response from the Substitute. His Lieutenant, however, couldn't help herself giggle at the hilarity of the scene that continued before them.

"The Hell did you do that for?!" Rukia shouted out, holding her head that now sported a comically bulbous bump on her head.

"Yeah, what's the matter with you-?" Renji asked in addendum. He took a few steps forward to confront Ichigo, interrupted by a snap kick in the chin. This sent him comically soaring head over heels in the air, landing a good dozen meters away from the offending Strawberry.

"Both of you have a lot of nerve," Ichigo began, as he sideglanced Renji, then drew his attention back at a startled Rukia once more. "To act like nothing's changed!"

Rukia stared up at Ichigo, her violet eyes glaring into his hazel orbs with sudden indignation, "H-How dare you?! If you haven't forgotten, the Soul Society was in a complete mess since Aizen's coup attempt!"

"And we've been attacked by things out of a bad horror film!" Ichigo rebutted, leaning down with a raised fist. "I know your people have a very bad read on how to actually protect people here, but the least you could have done was at least keep an eye on things! I'm surprised, really, how you can waltz in and act so smug about how you protected something I had under control-!"

"By where I'm standing," Renji added, gesturing to the obliterated landscape of the once rural hillside within the vista of Karakura Town. "You kind've let everything get utterly wrecked."

"Not the time, jackass!" Ichigo jeered out with an angry point of his hand.

"I'm sorry," Rukia genuinely apologized, her brows releasing the crease of her frown, her lavenders staring up at his hazel orbs; enough that it made his own angered expression fade. "We've been stretched thin ever since Aizen was defeated. I would've insisted on keeping you and your family under more surveillance, more protection, given your previous state. I had to take care of not only managing the 13th Division through new promotion, but I also had to go on a rescue operation-"

"Promoted?" Ichigo momentarily interrupted, his eyes blinking with confusion.

Rolling her eyes, Rukia gestured her left arm towards Ichigo, showing off her Lieutenant badge, "I got promoted to the rank of Lieutenant for the 13th Division. Captain Ukitake insisted that I take the position, as he needed all the help he could get in managing the new recruits and current members of the Division's staff."

"Huh, well, way to go," He briefly applauded with a smile. Then, his brow arched with query at the latter most mention prior to his interruption. "And a rescue operation? For who?"

"There were people we had to leave behind in Hueco Mundo, some of which we managed to help out while you were in the coma," Rukia explained, side-glancing sheepishly away from his piercing gaze. "We managed to allocate Nel, and give her medical treatment. It was the least we could do. Luckily, she managed to stabilize her body's true form and has been recuperating since. Hanataro was also brought back for immediate medical attention. Other than that, Captain Kurotsuchi took any dead or partially living Arrancars he could find and has been studying on them since-"

"Rukia, I could care less what you did while I was unconscious!" Ichigo spouted off impatiently, throwing a hand to the side. "What rescue mission?!"

"Geez, you're as thick-headed as always!" Rukia pouted her lips at him, sighing afterwards with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest, explaining. "If you remember our time in the Menos Forest, there was a Soul Reaper whom had been trapped in constant guerrilla combat with the native Hollows that spawned there. His name is Ashido Kano."

"The Hollow Shield guy?" Ichigo inquired briefly. "He was still alive after what happened down there?"

"Someone who fought Gillian and Adjuchas for the past few centuries is someone not to be underestimated," Rukia spoke briefly with a wry smile, as she recalled the red-haired survivor of the Hueco Mundo incursion. "It took awhile to find him, and to find our way back, but he's doing fine. After needing very much rest and recuperation, myself and Renji proposed that he be tested for the Captains' Examination. It didn't take long before he passed with flying colors, gaining the position of 9th Division Captain."

"Good for him," Ichigo said sincerely, remembering what a valiant and memorable ally he was when they were in dire need in Hueco Mundo. So many years ago, he could almost remember the desperate team they made in trying to get to Orihime and stop Aizen.

However, those memories were banished from his mind, as Ichigo regained the primary source of his agitation and indignation.

Looking down at her, he inhaled deeply, before asking her plainly, "Why didn't you come back sooner? I can understand how some of the stuff that happened took up your time. But seriously, nearly two years and not a single peep? Hell, at least my friends kept me in the loop when it came to Hollow problems or stuff that I used to be a part of. Why couldn't you do the same?"

Rukia looked to the side, grabbing a hold of her left forearm, "I..."

"As much as I'd like to see you two play catch-up, there is a reason for us coming here," Toshiro interrupted with a belated sigh, earning a cross between a scowl and an attentive stare from Ichigo.

Unfolding his arms, Toshiro continued, "Due to recently unfolded events, the Head Captain wished you to come to the Seireitei and stay in protective custody. We don't know the full extent of the forces that are at work, but due to the tentative nature of these...enemies...he wishes that you were to be kept out of sight and detection from these agents that have run amok the Material World, looking for you."

"Well, at least Kisuke or somebody decided to clue you in," Ichigo muttered out with understanding, raising his right hand up to scratch the back of his head.

Turning on his heel, Toshiro motioned Rangiku to get in position, continuing without meeting his eyes, "We'll leave immediately. Rangiku will open the Senkaimon and we'll debrief the others-"

"Not happening," Ichigo spoke plainly.

This earned Toshiro's ire, as he turned on his heels again to glare towards the taller and much more younger Substitute, "This isn't about pride or honor, Kurosaki! If you stay here, who knows how much more you'll put in jeopardy than Karakura Town! Insisting on staying is the epitome of stupidity and suicide!"

"You think I don't know how risky this is?!" Ichigo growled in a barely restrained tone, lowering his arms down, allowing his hands to ball up to fists, "They're the ones who picked a fight with me. They're hunting me like an animal, and for what? Sport? Food? Power? If I go to the Soul Society, they'll keep harassing my friends and family, and I won't be here to meet that threat head on! I'd rather die on my feet than be dragged away to a cozy prison cell so I can be tested and interrogated meaninglessly!"

What kept the argument from getting more escalated, would be a simple gesture. An outstretched hand would grasp Ichigo's wrist, earning the orange-haired man's attention, causing his whole demeanor to soften. A serious and quivering visage was projected from the heir to the Kuchiki House, as she looked up at him silently, working up the nerve to speak.

"Do you think anyone of us here...wants to see you die?!" Rukia asked incredulously, her voice reaching a volume that shakes Ichigo to his core, "we came here not just because we were ordered to. We came because we're your friends, Ichigo. We came here cause you've done things for us that we would never repay."

Looking down, Rukia whispered quietly, "So...please, at least think for a moment, of how your friends feel instead of how you believe they feel. Do you think they'd be able to live with themselves, knowing that you could be hurt or worse by these things?"

Ichigo swallowed hard, as he digested everything that occurred before him. He honestly felt like a tug of war, held by over a dozen directions, was pulling at his heart with a bundle of mixed emotions. He didn't know how to react, given from what Rukia said, or how to proceed from this point. He just wanted to go home and just keep doing as he always had done.

Looking away from Rukia, he gently grasped her hand, pulling her back towards Karakura Town as he spoke aloud with finality, "I'm not going to decide anything until I know everyone's alright. C'mon, we can discuss this back at my house."

Silently, Toshiro admitted this decision as a form of compromise, knowing they'd at least get somewhere. He hoped that he could get someone that could talk sense into the stubborn and thick-headed Substitute.

Rangiku, having been respectfully quiet for the most part for her Captain's sake, was just glad to see the handsome warrior who fought in Gin's stead against Aizen. Seeing him now, regained in confidence and power, almost made her believe that it would be better just to let him take care of himself, as opposed to simply keeping him in the Soul Society.

Renji on the other hand was a mixed bag of pleased and pissed. He was glad to see that Ichigo had regained a good portion of his old powers, despite the change in makeup, so he could challenge him sometime as a equal. He was pissed that Ichigo had adamantly remained, upon the surface, unchanged in his immature and thick-headed ways.

For Rukia, she didn't know what to think. She could only let him pull her by the hand, before they would use Flash Step, to whisk themselves towards the infamous site of tragedy, war, and outbreaks of many kinds. It was during that time, that she could feel a partially suppressed blush form on her pale cheeks. It occurred to her, that Ichigo had never grasped her hand, even in a casual way. Did it mean something, or was she just imagining things?

* * *

Gathered within the backyard of the Kurosaki residence, was the majority of those who attended as "party-goers".

The Visoreds looked relatively intact, despite injuries ranging from scuffs to grievous. Hachigen looked shaken and exhausted, his wounds he handled himself through mending that Orihime insisted on helping. Kensei looked as if he was in a furnace with burns ranging up his arms to the shoulders that were being attended to last. Shinji, Rose and Love all were sparingly injured, but looked more or less embarrassed; more or less due to the cyan haired Arrancar standing quite stoically next to them, oblivious to their discomfort as she looked towards the sky torn vista.

Isshin, having just arrived but a few minutes ago had spattered blood over his Shikhakusho, but not much of it actually belonged to himself.

Chad and Tatsuki currently squatted within the golden transparent dome-shaped barrier of Orihime's design, recovering from their excursion against the Hanta. While Tatsuki only sported minor injuries, she felt an incredible drain from overusing her new powers. It hadn't even subsided, other than a dimly lit aura around her, since the battle she fought not too long ago.

In another barrier across them squatted the mysterious partner of Senna, Ryo. Just like the battle he had with Uryu, most of his upper torso and arms were burnt to a near crisp black. The damage he took from the Inquisitor made the 2nd and 3rd degree burns across his body, more or less, a morbid reminder of how tolerant to pain he really is.

Uryu and Senna looked onwards from a nearby fence. The two of them had applied minimal first aid treatment upon each other before getting Orihime's "healing". For the most part, it seemed they were calmly assessing what was going on outside of the small suburban scarred neighborhood and the currently bustling backyard of the Kurosaki residence.

"Malice's Spiritual Pressure just vanished," Uryu finally spoke, breaching the veil of silence between them.

"It would seem Ichigo managed to overpower him, in the end," Senna sighed, her eyes casting a forlorn gaze to the side.

Pressing his left ring finger up upon his glasses, Uryu asked with curiosity, "Personal avowed nemesis of yours?"

"More like a nightmare," Senna shuddered, her hands holding her arms with palms rubbing the coat sleeves as if a chill swept her whole body. "Hanta are normally Sinners, though we often mistakenly label them as demons they are rarely anything to sneeze at. Their sins are the reason they are sent there in the first place but there is power in embracing their carnal nature. The ones that embody their crime the most are given a brand -a title, more or less- to signify their strength among their peers.

"And that's what Malice is. He is spite incarnate, and his hatred makes him nearly unkillable. There is merit in his claim that no one has ever beaten him in a fight, and his powers are a threat to anyone who wields spirit energy," She finished with a turn of her head to look frigidly at the Quincy. "Worse still, killing a Hanta never truly destroys the soul presiding in it. It just slaughters the host body that keeps them from being drawn back to Hell. A ruined vessel can't hold its passenger, and in the end, its just a sacrifice to be used at the demon's discretion."

"So that's who -what- they are," Uryu stated, his gaze shifting from Senna's to rest on Tatsuki's bristling figure hidden behind Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka barrier of transparent gold glow. "Tatsuki said they were possessed humans, but for the most part, all of them used powers we've seen before. Zanpakuto, both Arrancar and Soul Reapers. Yet Malice seemed wholly different."

"It isn't definitive, but Hanta is more of a job than a species," Senna answered readily, pausing for a moment as she turned her head to gaze into Uryu's. "Anyone condemned can be anything from Humans, to Hollows, to Arrancars and the like. The imprisoned rarely can do anything of their volition given the Warden and its kin watch them constantly, if not outright torture them; Demons are the only natural inhabitants of that domain, which gives them a certain sense of entitlement to those of the condemned what they wish.

"Those who are of the more... _prestigious_...of the hierarchy within Hell have the stronger to-be subordinates to pick," She continued to express her disgust, her lips curling into a snarl as she uttered aloud. "Malice's superior, the one who's been sending all these Hanta after Ichigo, is one of those such Demons."

These revelations caused Uryu's eyes to widen. Several thoughts conflicted within his mind. One part of him thought this seemed too far fetched to even be real, as if this was all an elaborate hoax to lure Ichigo into a trap of sorts. Another claimed that there was a rational sense to how all the pieces began to fit from what he had witnessed within the last few days.

"They must seem to value Ichigo highly if they are sending this level of subordinates to do their bidding. The fact they pulled out completely is another matter," Uryu suspected, his eyes presiding over the now calm horizon, though still laden with twisted clouds that thundered ominously overhead. "It probably has something to do with the Gotei 13 sending reinforcements."

Senna mulled over this thought with a sigh. Pushing off the fence, she put her arms behind her head, her face forming a frown. Any options she would have to consider would probably be necessary to contact her superiors.

" _Whether they'd approve of a decision invoked by Karakura's self proclaimed guardians, however, I don't have the faintest idea,_ " Senna thought as she turned to look over at the sweat-beaded visage of Uryu. "N _ot that they'd be stopped, given how much they support Ichigo's best interests over any third party, regardless if I'm a part of it..._ "

However, she wouldn't have much time to consider her thoughts.

Appearing within an instant Ichigo and company landed gracefully upon the center of the backyard via _Flash Step_. All eyes turned to regard Ichigo's arrival with relief and good cheer, only to be taken aback with surprise at the people standing next to him.

Toshiro looked around with familiarity, remaining stoic as he took in the state everyone was in. He did release a sigh of thankfulness that none of Ichigo's present family, friends, and allies looked worse for wear. Given Ichigo's current status the young prodigy thought it would be best they were in the best disposition; if not to further encourage Ichigo's move out of Karakura Town, for however long it would be.

Rangiku immediately latched onto a particular individual she hadn't seen in so long.

"ORIHIME!~" Rangiku shouted with glee, as she leaped through the air comically, tackling the young orange haired girl to the ground.

"R-Rangiku?!" Orihime gasped with surprised, a brief blush coming up to her face, as the breath left her lungs.

"Its so good to see you!" Rangiku giggled, rubbing her cheek against Orihime's, eliciting a surprise squeal and giggle from the teenager. Pushing herself off her to kneel in front of her. "You've certainly grown into a beautiful woman since I've last saw you. I bet you're making all the men fall at your feet, right?"

"Stop teasing me, Rangiku," Orihime smiled bashfully, turning her blushing face away from the buxom blonde as she covered her face. "I'm not that beautiful-"

"Bullshit!" Rangiku spoke in a rather unabashed and blunt manner, still smiling as she poked Orihime's shoulder. "You're a damned gorgeous gal, and you should be more proud of that!"

"Lieutenant! Stop goofing off!" Toshiro growled comically at her, earning a belated sigh from his subordinate.

"I'm just saying hi, Captain," Rangiku pouted her lips up at him. "You don't need to be so mean!"

"This isn't a house call for pleasantries, so stop acting like a child!" Captain Hitsugaya barked at her with widened eyes of incredulous frustration.

Rangiku couldn't help but quip as she glanced away from him, "Says the boy pretending to be a man-OW!"

"No sassing, Matsumoto!" Toshiro responded with a shout, having his small fist down onto her orange crested head. This resulted in her holding her bruised scalp up with tears in her eyes.

"Fine, Captain!" Rangiku groaned, as she stood to her feet not before catching a thankful smile from Orihime's direction.

Meanwhile, Renji squatted down near the golden dome that housed Tatsuki and Chad, staring at the two of them blankly, "How's it going you two? Getting acquainted?"

"Not funny, pineapple head!" Tatsuki growled at Renji.

"We had to beat some guys up. The last guy didn't agree with our fists," Chad quipped lowly.

"I can see why you're in the barrier, then," Renji smirked in response, only looking towards Tatsuki with curious eyes. Tapping the barrier's surface in emphasis, he asked Tatsuki. "Did you always glow or are you that hot tempered?"

"For your information, smart-ass, I got fire powers," Tatsuki responded bluntly, holding her fist up in a threateningly manner. "Want to have a go at it and see how cocky you are against me in the ring-"

Within a few moments, however, Tatsuki's aura finally faded. She looked perplexed as it had been remaining constant this whole time, "What just happened?"

"Yeah. Real firepower, I can see that," Renji snickered, causing Tatsuki to grimace with shame at any lack of strength to pummel him into the ground.

Through all the reunions, dialogue ensuing, however, there were several people that rushed to Ichigo.

As Ichigo had finished returning to his normal self, sealing his Zanpakuto within a makeshift sheathe of chains attached to the pommel, he opened his eyes wide to see a lavender haired Arrancar and a violet haired girl leap simultaneously for his front. Raising his arms ineptly, he felt himself clapped to the ground in a heap, much to his dismay and their ignorant bliss. Once he was in their entwined grip did they realize their proximity to each other; causing them both to frown at each other.

"What do you think you're doing?" Senna asked with a barely controlled temper.

"I'm just greeting my Ichi!" Nelliel answered, pressing her face against him in a smothering rub, her grip causing him to wheeze out. "Are you jealous of my affection?!"

"Well I've been scared for his safety!" The red ribboned Soul Hunter proclaimed, squeezing just as tightly back, her own cheek pressed against the opposite one while staring intently into the Arrancar's eyes. Ichigo squealed even more, ignored largely by her with her sneer aimed at her opposition. "Where did _you_ come from?!"

"I came to visit, and the man with the funny hat told me there was trouble!" Nelliel answered indignantly, wiggling her rump in the air in addendum while pouting her lips. "I hurried as fast as I could, so I helped some of Ichi's friends quickly so I could wait for him when he returned!~"

"Hey! You weren't here earlier, so did you come to help late?!" Senna griped aloud, her own hips swaying in her arched posture over Ichigo's strained person. "Not only are you tardy, you are highly suspect! I won't stand for some late help pining for my-!"

"Ok," Uryu sighed, grabbing both girls by their scruffs and hauled them upwards with Ichigo's upper body limply held inert in their entwined arms. "The bastard's almost out cold from that. Can you give him some space to breathe?"

"A-Ah!" Senna released Ichigo, her face heating up just as Nelliel did the same with concern.

"I...just...need...air," The Strawberry heaved with labored breaths, slowly regaining the complexion over his features. Shaking his head, he'd eventually greet them properly -under proper watch from Uryu, much to his relief- to the pair.

"Nice of you to drop in, Nel," He started with the Arrancar with a weary smile. "Your timing is impeccable, though."

"Had I known of your plight, I would've hastened in my arrival," Nelliel replied, her mannerisms seemed to shift drastically as she retained her old life's elegant professionalism. Raising a hand to swish through her thick bluish-green locks, she flipped her tresses aside with a tilt of her head as she smiled with confidence. "If I was present, I'm sure the damage to your home wouldn't have been as grave; nor everyone's injuries as severe."

"Well, maybe," The Substitute shrugged with an uncertain, sloppy grin. "These new enemies are ridiculous. I'm just glad you're alright-"

"Awwww," Nelliel leaned forward with waving arms, barely held back by Uryu's grip. "Ichi-gooooooooooooo!~"

"Now, Sen-" The man turned to address the other girl in waiting, this time receiving a neck encircled hug and an affectionate hug far less of a vice grip than it was before.

"Don't worry me like that again," She whispered, already feeling her closed eyes moisten enough for them to slide down warmly across her cheeks over his own.

"Sorry," He apologized gently, wrapping his own arms around her waist, trying to return the gesture without embarrassing them both in front of everyone he knew. "I'll try."

"You're supposed to promise me you won't, idiot," She laughed dryly, her hands rustling the back of his scalp idly.

Gently pulling away, he shook his head, his smile fading as he responded honestly, "I can't make promises I don't think I can keep."

"Figured you'd say that," The Soul Hunter sighed, though her own smile didn't disappear completely. She was content just to look him in the eyes, knowing he came out victorious and had lived to see all of his friends and family safely sound.

"Ahem!" Rukia cleared her voice, attracting the attention of the four. Crossing her arms, she sighed as a pout formed upon her visage that puzzled Ichigo much to the small woman's chagrin. "Has everyone forgotten me so soon? I know its been a little bit of time, but honestly, you shouldn't have forgotten-"

"RUKIAAAAAAAAA!~" Kon shouted, as he leaped towards her chest unabashedly. The atmosphere filled with rainbows and sunflowers in his mind, as he found his first true dame, the one girl for him, has finally found his way back to his embra-

"Nice seeing you, Kon," Rukia responded with a swift roundhouse kick, halting the Mod Soul in the air, causing him to wince on her foot.

"Such...beauty...denied...again," Kon moaned, his plush body slipping off her foot and flopping onto his back.

Uryu's scalp produced a comically proportionate bead of sweat, as he responded bluntly to her, "I see your reflexes haven't been dampened by your newfound responsibilities, Rukia."

"As sharp as always, Uryu," Rukia responded with a huff, turning to smile at him, crossing her arms as she regarded him. "Glad to see you've taken care of yourself while I've been away."

"You obviously don't know me very well then," Uryu confidently smiled back. "Cause there should be no doubt that I should be able to hold my own. The Last of the Quincies should always be more resourceful than those who are in plentiful amount; like you Soul Reapers."

"Fair enough," Rukia huffed, closing her eyes.

"So," Senna finally spoke up, earning the confused look of the Lieutenant in her direction. When her eyes dawned upon recognition, she opened her mouth for confirmation only for the Soul Hunter to snarl audibly at her. "Took your time showing up now of all times, huh, Soul Reaper?"

Rukia's eyes were knitted into a furious glare that sent daggers towards her, "You've got some nerve talking to me that way, _Shinenju!_ "

"My name is Senna, Rukia Kuchiki! I'm no longer bound by the Valley of Screams," Senna answered readily, clenching her teeth audibly with apparent resentment.

"You disappeared, and your presence should have ceased along with all memory of your existence," Rukia reacted with an icy venom that made her colleagues and Ichigo flinch at; only Toshiro and the elders of the group seem to be remarkably removed from the current spat. Crossing her arms over her smoothly shaped chest, the Kuchiki Reaper cocked her head a few inches upwards with a sneer appropriately twisted across her lips. "Forgive me if I find your current appearance and siding to Ichigo seem...suspect."

"Big talk for an absentee of Ichigo's life," Senna snarked back.

Ichigo tried to step in between Senna and Rukia, putting his hands out at both of them, "Guys, calm down! We don't have-"

"Yes! We do, Ichigo!" Senna pushed his arm away as she walked around him, stepping in front of Rukia herself, "I need to hear her reason why!"

Rukia gritted her teeth at the abrasiveness this girl, this supposedly non-existent one that, would challenge her as to her absence from her friends. Right now, of all times. She knew that Captain Hitsugaya didn't appreciate being kept waiting, and yet he was still allowing Ichigo to mingle with the rest of his family and friends before he made a decision.

Due to the lack of immediate response from any of the three, including Renji, she knew that she was on her own to face this girl's accusations.

"You want to know why I haven't come back? Not a single time to Karakura Town?" Rukia asked rhetorically before continuing on with a hand over her chest, emphasizing her point. "Well, here it is. The war was not without cost, not that you would know about it in the greatest of details. We have we lost three Captains through treason and death. Not only that, but I went on a long expedition into Hueco Mundo to save a friend that I promised that I would. Almost immediately upon my return, I was given a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, a position I dreaded taking away from my late mentor and friend. I have been trying to juggle duties of both paramount and dull around as my Captain is often left bedridden. It wasn't but hours ago that I even knew something was amiss here in the World of the Living. Especially in this spot, Karakura Town. I had the utmost confidence in my friends, to not only to protect their home but also each other, and that goes doubly for Ichigo!"

An audible silence set upon the whole backyard. If anyone had been talking in the background, those conversations were immediately halted by the verbatim

"So, you're claiming you knew nothing of the situation," Senna stated the facts, ending with a balking question. "Nothing at all?"

"That's correct," Rukia replied.

"Then you probably didn't know, how close to death Ichigo and his friends have been in?" Senna asked bluntly, causing Rukia's eyes to widen with disbelief. "And that if I hadn't been here, its quite possible that these forces of damnation would've taken them all by surprise and unaware. Ichigo's life was about to be stolen by a heinous kind of creature, and you were blissfully ignorant to both his plight and his pain!"

"N-No way!" Rukia's eyes widened with realization. The pieces began to fit in her mind: An elongated period of peace births a new threat, Senna returns, Ichigo's powers reawakened, Hell literally unleashes upon Karakura Town. "Why wasn't the Soul Society informed about this sooner? Why weren't any patrolling Soul Reapers taking notice of this?!"

"They were too busy minding their own business to notice a barrier placed over the entire landscape," Senna bitterly surmised, shrugging her shoulders with emphasis. "This only proves how inefficient your organization has become, but also how you didn't even bother checking up on your friends. Don't say you have faith in them unless you know they're one hundred percent prepared for ANY kind of danger that may befall them!"

But then, she also remembered Senna's last words, causing her to glare back at Senna's bristling visage. Her right fist balled up as she asked the reformed Soul Reaper incredulously, "What do you mean by Ichigo's _pain_?!"

"ENOUGH!" Ichigo yelled aloud with vented frustration. As this earned the two spiteful glaring girls' attention, he waved his right hand out. "I don't have a clue why you two are pissed at each other. But I do know when someone is talking about me like I'm not here. I'd appreciate if you cut this crap out now!"

Silence ensued once again. Rukia bowed her head, clearly ashamed that she allowed herself to be carried away. Senna showed shame as well, grasping her left arm as she glanced to the side with unease.

Only Senna let loose one last response to Rukia's question, "Ask Orihime, and you'll know what I mean."

Rukia's eyes raised up, widened and with surprised. Rukia noticed she didn't even cast a glance in her direction. The sincere sadness from her voice and the look in her eyes told her volumes her personal compassion. She turned to see Orihime's own ashamed visage, looking quite uncomfortable that she had been brought up in their squabble at all.

She knew when things settled down, they would have to talk about what exactly has been going on in Karakura Town during her absence.

It was then, that Toshiro decided to softly tread over to their midst. With Rangiku and Renji in tow, he raised his eyes up towards the group to speak with authority, "Now that we got greetings and some feelings off our chests, I think its time we talked about why we're here."

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded with agreement. Walking back to stand next to his earth-planted Zanpakuto, he placed his hand on its pommel. A deep breath inhaled and exhaled from Ichigo, as he finally made his decision. "I'm going to leave to the Soul Society for a little while."

Many people responded at once.

"Y-You're leaving?" Orihime asked with shock.

"So soon after I just got here?!" Nelliel replied in addition with open-jawed dismay.

"Seems like it," Ichigo answered with a belated sigh. "It won't be forever. Just until we figure out what's going on and find a better way to counter this new threat. For all I know, it won't be more than a few days at best."

"Oh," Orihime bowed her head down, solemnly taking everything in. Before Ichigo could respond, she raised her face back up to sport a supportive smile, "Then, I'll look forward to your return, Ichigo!"

"Yeah," Ichigo smiled with relief towards Orihime. He was honestly glad one of his friends supported this decision that he himself didn't want to make. It was one of the true things that he valued about Orihime's friendship. Faithful and loyal without a doubt in her heart.

"I'll stay, for the time being, then," Nelliel added with renewed maturity, surprising Ichigo how quickly she bounced back. Smiling calmly, her eyes twinkled with a serenity that made his heart skip a few beats, reminding him how gentle she looked when she held him several years ago. "I'm patient, Ichigo. I can stand to wait for a little while longer."

"Thanks for understanding," He nodded with an equally grateful grin adorned on his face. "I'll make sure not to be gone too long, I swear."

"The Hell you are leaving!" Senna shouted, her eyes filled more with fear than anger, "I'm not going to let the Soul Society lock you up in some feudal kingdom and keep you from me-"

"I'm taking you with me," Ichigo interrupted readily.

Senna stopped in mid-sentence, trying to process what he said. Her eyes flickered from fear to genuine surprise, and almost disbelief. She swallowed hard, as tears began to form in her eyes with a hopeful smile spreading across her face. "R-Really?"

"Why would I leave you behind?" Ichigo asked back, sporting a blank expression upon his face. "You didn't honestly think I was going to just leave one of the best things to happen to me in two years because some upstuck people said I should?"

Sniffling, Senna used her arm to wipe away her tears as she kept smiling, "You'd be a dumbass if you did."

Smiling back, he was glad to see that he managed to get Senna to agree with his decision. Strangely enough he didn't hear any other retorts come out of his friends. Collectively, they all looked on with understanding and approval. It felt to him as if they knew he'd make a decision like this; though a slight look of disapproval was sensed in how Nelliel and Rukia stared at him, but he couldn't peg exactly why that was?

Looking over to Uryu, Ichigo curiously blink in his direction, "Aren't you going to tell me I should do something smarter or less rashly?"

"Quite the opposite," Uryu answered smoothly, pushing his glasses up to make them refract a vivid glare of light. "I think this is one of the rare instances you decided not to use your instincts and relied upon your mind to make a decision. I'd applaud you, but I'm sure you're going to find something else to charge recklessly into."

"Gee thanks," Ichigo twitched irritably at the Quincy.

An audible clapping was heard, as Kisuke walked towards them, leaving the Visoreds and Isshin near the other half of the backyard, "Glad to see you're taking steps to ensure everyone's safety."

Ichigo dryly retorted, "You're making it sound like this was my idea all along..."

"No, I'm just glad you're listening for a change," Kisuke responded with a smile.

Turning towards him fully, he grasped the hilt of his Zanpakuto fully as he regarded the man in front of him, "There's no guarantee these bastards are going to stop, when they figure out I'm not here anymore. Can I trust you to protect my friends and family, while I'm gone?"

"Don't worry about a thing! Your friends always have room to improve and you have strong allies that you never had before. Besides," Kisuke chuckled thoughtfully, pulling the rim of his hat down as he smiled with a dark promise. "I don't plan on holding back against such enemies."

"Thanks," Ichigo nodded with thankfulness, lifting his chain-wrapped sword up to rest on his shoulder.

With a satisfied smile, Toshiro turned to Rangiku and nodded to her.

Understanding what he meant, she walked to the side and unsheathed her blade from its sheathe. With a swift thrust into the air, she turned it clockwise, causing a wide wooden doorway to manifest within the backyard. The mighty thrum would be heard as the doors slid apart, opening a white entry for them to enter, with a handful of Hell butterflies exiting its space to flutter near the Senkaimon.

"Then I shall accompany you as well," Ryo insisted with a stalwart step forward, now adorned in his cloak and fresh from the barrier that was released from his person.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Ryo," Senna remarked gratefully to the stoic companion of hers as he joined the wary looking Reapers' midst.

"Guess I have some guys to spar with," Tatsuki spoke with thoughtfulness, before turning her gaze up to Ichigo. "Make sure you don't take long, hero!"

"No promises," Ichigo spoke with a wry smile, allowing his free arm to wrap around Senna's midsection in a half embrace.

With no more words spoken, the four Soul Reapers, the Substitute, and the Soul Hunter walked into the Senkaimon entrance. As the Hell Butterflies fluttered back inside, the doors closed behind them with an ominous thrum, disappearing in the middle of space.

A loud clap later, and Kisuke turned to the collective group of allies and friends. "Alright! With enemies bound upon the horizon and Ichigo gone, we got our work cut out for ourselves. Shall we get things turned up a notch around here?"

* * *

 **A/N** : It took a little over a year, but I finally managed to finish the Redux. Took time, effort, and a lot of bodies but the end is mine. ALL MINE!

Ahem.

Obviously I toned down the drama a bit and made it sound a bit better in some instances, keeping what dialogue I could salvage. I know I shoehorned Nelliel into the story only a chapter or so ago in this Redux but I desperately wanted to fit in her in some extent. In any case, I hope her inclusion was nice and people enjoyed it. As much as I laid off Ichigo's romantic subtext with Senna in this version, I did still want him to insist on Senna coming along since she did play a big role in helping get his life back in order and doing a lot of favors for him in risking so much on his behalf. This also sows the seed of jealousy for all the other potential romantic interests he's ignorant of so...let that stew for a bit.

And now, with everyone staying as they should (seriously, the only reason Humans can enter Soul Society safely was Kisuke's specially crafted Matter-to-Reishi converting Senkaimon. Why did I think it was a good idea to shove them into the first chapter of Dark Horizon?! WHY?!) everything is now consistent again. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

So, without further ado, let the actual PLOT progress forward!


End file.
